Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Cybersecurity Practice Test

What method involves installing downloads simply by visiting an infected webpage?

1. Worm

2. Drive-by Download

3. Trojans

4. Spyware

The correct answer is: Drive-by Download

The method that involves installing downloads simply by visiting an infected webpage is known as a drive-by download. This type of attack takes advantage of vulnerabilities in the user's browser or plugins, allowing malicious software to be downloaded and installed without the user's knowledge or consent simply by visiting a compromised or malicious website. In contrast, worms are standalone malware that replicate themselves to spread to other systems, and they do not require a user to visit a page to infect a system. Trojans, on the other hand, often disguise themselves as legitimate software to trick users into installing them; they typically require user interaction to execute. Spyware is designed to collect information from the user's device, often without their awareness, but it does not specifically refer to the manner of installation through a web visit that drive-by downloads do. Thus, the correct answer accurately describes a specific method of malware installation that is particularly insidious because it exploits user behavior in a browser without requiring explicit action on the part of the user to download the malicious content.