(ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity Practice Exam

An external attacker trying to gain access to the organization's files is an example of what?

1. An intrusion

2. An exploit

3. A disclosure

4. A publication

The correct answer is: An intrusion

An external attacker attempting to gain access to an organization's files is indeed an example of an intrusion. An intrusion refers to the act of unauthorized access or interference by an outside party in a system or network. This encompasses a range of activities where the attacker aims to manipulate, steal, or damage data without permission. In this context, the focus is on the attacker penetrating the security measures in place to access confidential information. Intrusions are critical concerns for cybersecurity as they signify a breach of the organization's defenses and can lead to serious repercussions such as data theft, leaks, or manipulation. The other terms do have specific meanings within cybersecurity, but they do not align as closely with the scenario of an external attacker seeking unauthorized access. An exploit typically refers to a specific method or piece of code that takes advantage of a vulnerability, a disclosure often involves revealing sensitive information either accidentally or intentionally, and a publication pertains to making information publicly accessible, which does not capture the unauthorized aspect of the attacker's actions. Therefore, classifying this scenario as an intrusion correctly identifies the nature of the security threat.