Systems Security Certified Practitioner – SSCP – Question1069 - Systems Security Certified Practitioner

What do the ILOVEYOU and Melissa virus attacks have in common?

A. They are both denial-of-service (DOS) attacks.
B. They have nothing in common.
C. They are both masquerading attacks.
D. They are both social engineering attacks.

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

While a masquerading attack can be considered a type of social engineering, the Melissa and ILOVEYOU viruses are examples of masquerading attacks, even if it may cause some kind of denial of service due to the web server being flooded with messages. In this case, the receiver confidently opens a message coming from a trusted individual, only to find that the message was sent using the trusted party’s identity. Source: HARRIS, Shon, All-In-One CISSP Certification Exam Guide, McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2002, Chapter 10: Law, Investigation, and Ethics (page 650).