Question 1

What type of malware disguises itself as legitimate software but contains hidden malicious functionality?

Accepted Answer

A Trojan horse. Unlike viruses, Trojans do not self-replicate; they rely on users executing them believing they are legitimate programs.

Question 2

What distinguishes a worm from a virus in terms of propagation?

Accepted Answer

A worm self-replicates and spreads across networks without needing to attach to a host file or require user interaction, whereas a virus requires a host file and typically user action to spread.

Question 3

What is a rootkit primarily designed to do?

Accepted Answer

A rootkit is designed to gain privileged (root-level) access to a system and conceal its presence and the presence of other malware from the OS and security tools.

Question 4

What defines ransomware and what is its primary objective?

Accepted Answer

Ransomware is malware that encrypts a victim's files or locks their system, then demands payment (ransom) in exchange for the decryption key or restored access.

Question 5

What is a logic bomb and what triggers it?

Accepted Answer

A logic bomb is malicious code inserted into a system that remains dormant until a specific condition or event (such as a date, time, or user action) triggers its execution.

CompTIA Security+ Threats & Attacks

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