(ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity Practice Exam

Which attack involves the intentional injection of faults into a system to determine its behavior?

1. Fault Injection Attacks

2. Reverse Engineering

3. SQL Injections

4. XSS

The correct answer is: Fault Injection Attacks

The correct answer, Fault Injection Attacks, refers to a specific method whereby intentional errors or faults are introduced into a system to observe how it reacts under those conditions. This technique is often used to test the robustness and resilience of systems, particularly in cybersecurity contexts. Fault injection can help identify vulnerabilities that may not be evident through conventional testing. By manipulating inputs or conditions—like altering data or invoking failure scenarios—security professionals can analyze the system’s behavior, search for hidden defects, and understand the limits of error handling. This practice is especially valuable in ensuring that a system behaves securely even under adverse conditions, which is critical for maintaining overall security integrity. Other options, while relevant in cybersecurity, pertain to different contexts. Reverse engineering involves analyzing a system or software to understand its structure, function, and operation, which might not necessarily focus on fault behavior. SQL Injections and XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) are specific types of attacks targeting web applications, exploiting vulnerabilities in how data is managed or rendered. They do not relate to the concept of intentionally introducing faults into a system to observe its responses.