Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Cybersecurity Practice Test

What type of attack combines characteristics of viruses and worms?

1. Denial of Service attack

2. Blended threat

3. Phishing scam

4. Malware infection

The correct answer is: Blended threat

The type of attack that combines characteristics of viruses and worms is referred to as a blended threat. This term is used to describe malicious attacks that utilize multiple methods and techniques to exploit vulnerabilities across various systems. Blended threats often take the self-replicating capability of worms and the payload delivery mechanisms of viruses, allowing them to spread rapidly while delivering harmful payloads. In a blended threat scenario, for instance, an attack might leverage a worm to navigate a network and infect multiple devices while also carrying a virus that can corrupt files or disrupt services once it reaches a target system. This combination makes blended threats particularly dangerous as they can take advantage of the inherent strengths of both viruses and worms, leading to widespread damage and effective evasion of traditional security measures. Other options do not adequately describe this combination. A Denial of Service attack focuses on overwhelming a system with traffic rather than spreading malware. A phishing scam typically targets individuals through deceptive messages to steal information without involving self-replicating malware. Malware infection is a general term that includes various forms of malicious software but does not specify the unique merging of characteristics that a blended threat represents. Hence, the choice of a blended threat is the most accurate in capturing the essence of an attack that embodies features of both viruses and