Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

What distinguishes scareware from standard malware?

1. It requires user action to execute.

2. It disguises itself as legitimate software.

3. It uses psychological tactics to induce fear.

4. It operates in the background without user knowledge.

The correct answer is: It uses psychological tactics to induce fear.

Scareware is particularly distinctive because it employs psychological tactics aimed at inducing fear in users. This type of malware often presents itself as a security alert, claiming that the user’s system is infected or compromised, which prompts users to take immediate action, typically by purchasing software that promises to resolve the supposed security issue. By leveraging fear, scareware manipulates users into believing that they must act quickly to avoid a dreaded outcome, such as data loss or further infection. While the other aspects mentioned in the options could apply to various forms of malware, they don’t specifically highlight what makes scareware unique. For instance, while some malware indeed requires user action or attempts to masquerade as legitimate software, scareware's primary function is its psychological manipulation through fear, making option C the most fitting description of its distinct characteristics.