Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

Which of the following best describes the act of gaining information through clever manipulation, without any physical intrusion?

1. Phishing

2. Impersonation

3. Social Engineering

4. Intimidation

The correct answer is: Social Engineering

The concept of gaining information through clever manipulation, without any physical intrusion, is best described by social engineering. This term refers to techniques used to deceive individuals into divulging confidential or personal information that may be used for fraudulent purposes. Social engineering exploits human psychology rather than technical hacking techniques to breach security measures. In most cases, social engineers build a sense of trust or urgency, leading the target to share sensitive information willingly. They might manipulate situations or impersonate authority figures to achieve this goal, making it a skillful form of deceit rather than a mere technical exploit. While phishing is a specific form of social engineering that typically involves fraudulent emails or messages to trick individuals into providing sensitive information, it is a subset of the broader social engineering tactics. Impersonation refers specifically to pretending to be someone else to gain trust or access to information but is just one method used within social engineering. Intimidation can be an element in certain approaches to social engineering, but it does not encompass the entirety of the concept or every method used to gather information without direct intrusion.