Digital Forensic Certification Practice Exam

What type of attack involves the capture of traffic flowing through a network to obtain sensitive information such as usernames and passwords?

1. Phishing

2. Packet Sniffing

3. Malware Infection

4. SQL Injection

The correct answer is: Packet Sniffing

Packet sniffing refers to the practice of capturing and analyzing packets of data as they travel through a network. This technique is used by both network administrators to troubleshoot and monitor network performance, as well as by malicious actors seeking to intercept sensitive information. In the context of the question, packet sniffing is significant because it allows attackers to obtain sensitive data such as usernames and passwords that may be transmitted in clear text over the network. When packets are intercepted, attackers can extract this information before it reaches its intended destination, making it a serious security threat. Other options mentioned do not involve the direct capture of network traffic in this manner. Phishing typically relies on social engineering to trick individuals into providing personal information. Malware infections involve malicious software designed to harm or exploit devices, but do not specifically focus on capturing traffic in transit. SQL injection targets databases by exploiting vulnerabilities in applications, rather than capturing network traffic. Thus, packet sniffing is the most relevant method in the context of traffic capture for the purpose of theft of credentials.