SANS Assessment of Student Learning Plan (ASLP) Security Awareness Training

How do targeted attacks differ from common opportunistic attacks?

1. Targeted attacks are less harmful

2. Targeted attackers research their victims to launch customized attacks

3. Targeted attacks are always executed online

4. Targeted attacks do not require any preparation

The correct answer is: Targeted attackers research their victims to launch customized attacks

Targeted attacks differ significantly from common opportunistic attacks primarily because targeted attackers engage in extensive research on their victims to develop customized and specific tactics tailored to exploit identified vulnerabilities. This level of preparation allows attackers to design their approaches to maximize the likelihood of success, often leading to greater impact when they do strike. In contrast, opportunistic attacks typically rely on broad, generalized tactics that aim to exploit unpatched vulnerabilities or commonly used weaknesses across a wide array of potential victims, often without any prior knowledge or research about specific targets. This includes methods like phishing campaigns that are sent to many individuals, hoping that someone will fall for the scheme. This distinction highlights the importance of threat intelligence and understanding that targeted attacks represent a more sophisticated approach requiring planning and insights into individual victims compared to the random and less personalized methods employed in opportunistic attacks.