Certified Incident Handler (ECIH) — Question 49

Tristan, a professional penetration tester, was recruited by an organization to test its network infrastructure. The organization wanted to understand its current security posture and its strength in defending against external threats. For this purpose, the organization did not provide any information about their IT infrastructure to Tristan. Thus, Tristan initiated zero-knowledge attacks, with no information or assistance from the organization.
Which of the following types of penetration testing has Tristan initiated in the above scenario?

Answer options

• A. Black-box testing
• B. White-box testing
• C. Gray-box testing
• D. Translucent-box testing

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer is A, Black-box testing, because Tristan has no prior knowledge of the organization's IT infrastructure, simulating an external attacker's perspective. The other options, such as White-box testing and Gray-box testing, involve varying levels of access to information about the system, which Tristan does not have in this scenario.