Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

What phase of hacking was Lopez performing if she finds vulnerabilities such as password cracking and denial of service?

1. Maintaining Access

2. Gaining Access

3. Reconnaissance

4. Clearing Tracks

The correct answer is: Gaining Access

In the context of ethical hacking, finding vulnerabilities such as password cracking and denial of service attacks falls under the phase known as Gaining Access. This phase is crucial because it involves exploiting the identified vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to systems or data. During the Gaining Access phase, hackers utilize the information gathered during earlier phases, like Reconnaissance, to execute attacks that compromise the integrity of a system. This can involve techniques such as exploiting weak passwords (password cracking) or overwhelming a server with traffic to disrupt legitimate services (denial of service). In this phase, the focus is on actively engaging with the target systems through exploitation methods, contrasting with other phases, such as Maintaining Access, which is concerned with establishing a foothold after access has been gained, or Clearing Tracks, which involves erasing any evidence of intrusion. Each of these phases has distinct objectives and techniques associated with them, but the activities highlighted in this case align closely with the act of gaining initial access through exploitative tactics.