Which technique uses voice-based channels to harvest information by impersonating legitimate entities?

Which technique uses voice-based channels to harvest information by impersonating legitimate entities?

• A. Vishing
• B. Reverse Social Engineering
• C. Piggybacking
• D. Baiting

Answer: (A)

Vishing uses voice channels to harvest information by impersonating legitimate entities. In this attack, the attacker calls or leaves a message pretending to be a trusted organization—such as a bank, a tech support line, or a government agency—and uses a convincing pretext to get you to reveal sensitive data (like account numbers, passwords, verification codes, or security answers) or to take actions that compromise security. They may spoof caller ID to look legitimate, create urgency, or offer a problem that only the “official” entity can fix, leveraging trust and authority to bypass normal safeguards. To defend, verify requests through official channels, never disclose confidential information over the phone unless you initiated the contact, and use layered authentication and awareness training to spot these social engineering cues.

Vishing uses voice channels to harvest information by impersonating legitimate entities. In this attack, the attacker calls or leaves a message pretending to be a trusted organization—such as a bank, a tech support line, or a government agency—and uses a convincing pretext to get you to reveal sensitive data (like account numbers, passwords, verification codes, or security answers) or to take actions that compromise security. They may spoof caller ID to look legitimate, create urgency, or offer a problem that only the “official” entity can fix, leveraging trust and authority to bypass normal safeguards. To defend, verify requests through official channels, never disclose confidential information over the phone unless you initiated the contact, and use layered authentication and awareness training to spot these social engineering cues.