CompTIA Security+ Question E-11

Which of the following is described as an attack against an application using a malicious file?

A. Client side attack
B. Spam
C. Impersonation attack
D. Phishing attack

Answer: A

Explanation:
In this question, a malicious file is used to attack an application. If the application is running on a client computer, this would be a client side attack. Attacking a service or application on a server would be a server side attack.

Client-side attacks target vulnerabilities in client applications interacting with a malicious data. The difference is the client is the one initiating the bad connection. Client-side attacks are becoming more popular. This is because server side attacks are not as

easy as they once were according to apache.org. Attackers are finding success going after weaknesses in desktop applications such as browsers, media players, common office applications and e-mail clients. To defend against client-side attacks keep-up the most current application patch levels, keep antivirus software updated and keep authorized software to a minimum.