Digital Forensic Certification Practice Exam

What type of attack is it when a hacker secretly listens to a client's conversation by installing a sniffing device on a network?

1. Traffic Interception

2. Eavesdropping

3. Keylogging

4. Network Spoofing

The correct answer is: Eavesdropping

The appropriate term for an attack where a hacker secretly listens to a client's conversation by installing a sniffing device on a network is eavesdropping. This process involves monitoring and capturing data transmitted over a network without the consent of the parties involved. Eavesdropping can occur on various types of communications, including email, chat, and voice conversations, and is often facilitated by specialized software or hardware designed to capture network traffic. Eavesdropping is particularly concerning in environments where sensitive information is exchanged, as it allows the attacker to intercept and possibly exploit that information. The nature of this attack relies on stealth, as the goal is to gather information without alerting the user to the breach, making it difficult to detect. In contrast, traffic interception refers more broadly to the act of capturing or altering data packets as they travel across the network but does not necessarily imply that the attacker is simply passively listening. Keylogging involves capturing keystrokes from a user’s device, typically to gain unauthorized access to accounts, while network spoofing pertains to creating a fake network to deceive users into connecting to it, which can lead to various forms of attack but does not specifically describe the act of listening in on conversations.