Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

Which of the following is typically a characteristic of point-of-sale trojans?

1. Encrypting user files

2. Stealing payment information

3. Controlling IoT devices

4. Spreading through email attachments

The correct answer is: Stealing payment information

Point-of-sale trojans are specifically designed to target point-of-sale systems to steal sensitive information related to consumer payment transactions, particularly credit and debit card data. The primary objective of these malicious software programs is to capture payment information during the transaction process. By doing so, they can gather financial credentials, which can then be used for fraudulent purposes or sold on the dark web. While encrypting user files is a characteristic associated with ransomware, controlling IoT devices relates to IoT-focused malware, and spreading through email attachments is more typical of general malware distribution techniques, none of these options correlate directly with the function of point-of-sale trojans. Therefore, the focus on stealing payment information aligns perfectly with their primary purpose, distinguishing them from other types of malware and reinforcing why this answer is the most relevant.