Malware and Social Engineering Attacks Online Quiz

Spim is an acronym for instant messaging spam, referring to unsolicited commercial messages sent over instant messaging platforms. Regular email spam is simply called spam.

Intimidation is a social engineering tactic where an attacker uses threats, bullying, or a harsh tone to coerce a user into complying with their demands. Authority, social proof, and familiarity are other influence techniques but do not rely on coercion or threats.

A zombie is a computer that has been compromised by malware, allowing an attacker to control it remotely, often as part of a larger network.

A watering-hole attack involves compromising a specific website that a target group is known to visit, thereby infecting the users of that site.

Pharming redirects a user to a fraudulent website, often by corrupting DNS entries, even if the user types the correct URL.

Metamorphic malware rewrites its own code entirely each time it replicates, making it significantly harder to detect than polymorphic malware, which only changes its decryption routine.

A botnet is a network of computers infected with malware that allows an attacker to control them remotely. The infected computers are called 'zombies' or 'bots.' Bot herders are the attackers who control the botnet.

A hoax is a false warning designed to trick users into taking actions that compromise security, like changing settings or revealing credentials. Phishing steals data directly, pharming redirects to fake sites, and vishing uses phone calls - but hoaxes rely on false warnings.

A logic bomb is malicious code that remains dormant until specific conditions are met, such as a date, time, or event. Unlike viruses or worms that replicate and spread, logic bombs wait for their trigger condition before executing their payload.

Malware is software that infiltrates systems without consent to cause harm or steal data. This umbrella term includes viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, and other harmful software. Network and program viruses are specific types, while malware is the broader category.