CompTIA PenTest+ Practice Test

Which type of attack employs brute-force methods to compromise, degrade, or destroy systems?

1. Denial of Service attacks

2. Attrition attacks

3. Phishing attacks

4. Man-in-the-Middle attacks

The correct answer is: Attrition attacks

The selected answer accurately identifies attrition attacks as the type that employs brute-force methods to compromise, degrade, or destroy systems. Attrition attacks focus on exhausting system resources and can involve repeated and intensive attempts to gain access to a system by trying numerous passwords or other credentials until a successful entry is achieved. This method is often utilized to overwhelm security measures over time through sheer persistence, thereby compromising the system's availability and integrity. Denial of Service (DoS) attacks also aim to disrupt service but typically do so by overwhelming a target with excessive traffic rather than through brute-force credential attempts. Phishing attacks primarily aim to deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information by masquerading as legitimate entities, which does not involve brute-force methods. Man-in-the-Middle attacks exploit communication between two parties without altering the communicated content, and while they can undermine security, they do not rely on brute-force approaches to gain access or disrupt systems. Thus, attrition attacks represent a clear example of utilizing brute-force tactics in an attempt to compromise or degrade systems effectively.