Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

What application did Joe utilize to trick Bob into installing malicious software?

1. Trusted application

2. Rogue / Decoy application

3. Malicious link

4. False advertisement

The correct answer is: Rogue / Decoy application

The correct answer is that Joe utilized a rogue or decoy application to trick Bob into installing malicious software. A rogue application is designed to appear legitimate or beneficial, but it secretly harbors malicious code that can compromise a user's system. By presenting the application as something useful or trendy, Joe successfully deceived Bob into downloading and executing it, thereby granting unauthorized access or control to his system. The term "rogue" specifically implies an application that misleads users about its true nature, making it a favored tactic in social engineering. This type of deception exploits human trust and often involves mimicking genuine software or branding, which can further enhance its effectiveness. Other options, while relevant to the context of deception in cybersecurity, do not fit as precisely in this scenario. Trusted applications are meant to be reliable, and a malicious link tends to refer to web-based threats rather than software installations. False advertisements might imply misleading marketing but do not directly refer to the application's nature as a software tool, which is central to the example provided.