ITPEC FE Subject A October 2025 Question 27
An attacker left a USB stick labeled “Next ITPEC exam questions and answers” that contains malware in front of an office, expecting someone to plug it into a PC. Once plugged in, the attacker gains control of the PC. Which of the following types of attack is this?
Explanation
Baiting — a social engineering attack that leaves a tempting physical or digital lure for the victim to take.
The attacker never contacts anyone. A malware-loaded USB stick with an irresistible label is left where staff will find it, and curiosity does the rest: the victim plugs it in and the malware gives the attacker control of the PC.
Answer (a)
Why not others:
- •(b) Identity theft — using someone else's personal data to impersonate them; it can be an outcome of an attack, not this delivery method.
- •(c) Phishing — lures the victim through fraudulent email or websites, not a physical device left lying around.
- •(d) Pretexting — the attacker invents a scenario and a role, such as posing as IT support, and talks the victim into revealing information; here there is no conversation.
Key rule: Lure left for the victim to pick up is baiting; deceptive message or site is phishing; invented story told in direct contact is pretexting.
Security · AI-written, may contain errors
This question comes from an official ITPEC past paper. ITPEC Practice is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with ITPEC. See the official FE past-paper collection or Report an issue.