Which form of social engineering involves leaving a physical device, such as a USB flash drive containing malicious files, in a location where people can find it?

Which form of social engineering involves leaving a physical device, such as a USB flash drive containing malicious files, in a location where people can find it?

• A. Honey Trap
• B. Baiting
• C. Vishing
• D. Reverse Social Engineering

Answer: (B)

The tactic being tested is baiting. It uses a physical lure—the USB flash drive left in a public spot—to tempt people into picking it up and plugging it into a computer, which can trigger malware execution or data theft. The attack hinges on curiosity or greed: the finder expects something valuable or interesting on the drive and acts to access it, often without questioning the source. This differs from a honey trap, which centers on manipulating a person through social interaction; vishing relies on voice calls to steal information; and reverse social engineering involves the attacker posing as a helper to get the victim to request their aid. So the defining element here is the physical lure left behind to entice action.

The tactic being tested is baiting. It uses a physical lure—the USB flash drive left in a public spot—to tempt people into picking it up and plugging it into a computer, which can trigger malware execution or data theft. The attack hinges on curiosity or greed: the finder expects something valuable or interesting on the drive and acts to access it, often without questioning the source. This differs from a honey trap, which centers on manipulating a person through social interaction; vishing relies on voice calls to steal information; and reverse social engineering involves the attacker posing as a helper to get the victim to request their aid. So the defining element here is the physical lure left behind to entice action.