100-140 Question 358
Select 3A user reports receiving an email from their company's IT department asking them to reset their password by clicking on a link. The email looks legitimate but includes a few typos and unusual formatting. As part of your role in IT support, what steps should you take to identify if this email is a phishing attempt?
- A
Verify the sender's email address for any discrepancies, such as misspellings or unusual domains.
- B
Click on the link to test if it redirects to the company's official login page.
- C
Advise the user to avoid interacting with the email until its authenticity is confirmed.
- D
Check if the email contains generic greetings, urgent language, or suspicious attachments.
- E
Immediately delete the email without further investigation.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, C, D
Explanation
Phishing emails are designed to trick users into providing sensitive information or downloading malicious content. To identify phishing attempts, IT support technicians should carefully analyze the email's sender, content, and formatting. Avoiding interaction with suspicious emails and recognizing common phishing tactics are essential steps in mitigating such threats. Clicking on links or deleting emails without investigation could either escalate the risk or prevent proper analysis of the threat.
- A. Correct.
Verifying the sender's email address is a critical step as phishing emails often use fake or slightly altered email domains to impersonate legitimate organizations.
- B. Incorrect.
Clicking on the link is highly discouraged as it could lead to malicious websites or trigger malware installation.
- C. Correct.
Advising the user to avoid interacting with the email ensures they do not inadvertently fall victim to the attack while you investigate further.
- D. Correct.
Generic greetings, urgent language, or suspicious attachments are common signs of phishing attempts and should raise a red flag.
- E. Incorrect.
Immediately deleting the email without investigation could lead to missed opportunities to identify and block potential threats for other users.