What is a low-tech method for gaining unauthorized access to systems?

• A. Brute force password guessing.
• B. SQL Injection.
• C. Social Engineering.
• D. Buffer overflow attack.

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is that the easiest, most low-tech way to gain unauthorized access often isn’t through hacking a computer, but through tricking a person. Social engineering relies on manipulating human psychology—creating a believable pretext, building trust, or exploiting curiosity or fear—to get someone to reveal credentials, bypass security controls, or grant physical access. This can be done with simple conversations, phishing emails, or tailgating someone into a restricted area, requiring little to no technical tools. Because it targets people rather than software, it’s considered low-tech and highly effective, especially when security awareness is lacking.

Brute force password guessing involves repeatedly trying passwords, typically with automation. It’s a straightforward, technical method that relies on weak or reused credentials and often triggers alerts or lockouts, and it usually requires some tooling. SQL injection and buffer overflow attacks exploit flaws in software or code—vulnerabilities that enable attackers to run unauthorized commands or corrupt memory. These require specific technical flaws and expertise, making them more technical in nature than the human-focused approach of social engineering.