Network Defense Essentials (NDE) Practice Exam

What type of attack did Don use on Ethan's email account?

1. Phishing attack

2. SQL injection

3. Brute-force attack

4. Denial of Service (DoS)

The correct answer is: Brute-force attack

The scenario indicates that Don employed a brute-force attack on Ethan's email account. A brute-force attack involves systematically attempting different combinations of passwords until the correct one is found. This method does not rely on exploiting vulnerabilities in systems or applications; instead, it simply takes advantage of weak or commonly used passwords. In this context, the brute-force attack would be effective against Ethan's email account if Ethan's password was either weak or commonly used. By continuously trying various password combinations, Don could eventually gain unauthorized access to the account, illustrating how brute-force attacks can succeed when passwords are not sufficiently complex or when account lockout mechanisms are not in place. Understanding how a brute-force attack works is critical for implementing appropriate countermeasures, such as enforcing strong password policies and incorporating account lockout strategies to limit the number of failed login attempts.