Digital Forensic Certification Practice Exam

Which attack involves repeatedly sending a large volume of emails to a targeted victim's address?

1. Phishing

2. Mail bombing

3. Spear phishing

4. Spam

The correct answer is: Mail bombing

The attack that involves repeatedly sending a large volume of emails to a targeted victim's address is known as mail bombing. This method is intended to overwhelm the recipient's email system, often leading to disruption of service or making it difficult for the victim to access their inbox. Mail bombing can cause significant inconvenience and can even lead to the victim's email service being temporarily disabled due to the excessive load caused by the influx of emails. In contrast, phishing involves tricking individuals into providing sensitive information through deceptive emails, but it doesn't necessarily focus on overwhelming the inbox with a large volume. Spear phishing is a targeted attempt to steal sensitive information from a specific individual, often involving personalized communication. Spam refers to unsolicited bulk messages but is usually less about targeting an individual with overwhelming volume than about broadcasting messages to many recipients indiscriminately.