Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH v12) — Question 3

John, a professional hacker, performs a network attack on a renowned organization and gains unauthorized access to the target network. He remains in the network without being detected for a long time and obtains sensitive information without sabotaging the organization.
Which of the following attack techniques is used by John?

Answer options

• A. Insider threat
• B. Diversion theft
• C. Spear-phishing sites
• D. Advanced persistent threat

Correct answer: D

Explanation

The correct answer is D, Advanced persistent threat, which refers to a prolonged and targeted cyberattack where the intruder remains undetected while extracting sensitive information. The other options, such as Insider threat and Diversion theft, involve different scenarios that do not match the characteristics of John's attack, while Spear-phishing sites typically involve deceiving individuals to gain access rather than prolonged unauthorized access.