Which technique is commonly used to impersonate a legitimate user in cyber attacks?

The technique commonly used to impersonate a legitimate user in cyber attacks is social engineering. This method manipulates individuals into divulging confidential information or performing actions that compromise security. Attackers often exploit psychological triggers, such as urgency, fear, or trust, to convince victims that they are legitimate users or representatives of a trusted organization.

For example, a cybercriminal might send a phishing email that appears to come from a trusted source, persuading the victim to click on a link and enter credentials. This strategy relies heavily on the human element of security rather than technical vulnerabilities.

In contrast, data encryption is a security measure that protects data by converting it into a coded format, making it unreadable to unauthorized users. Ransomware deployment is the act of installing malicious software that holds data ransom, which is more about data attack and extortion than impersonation. Lastly, multi-factor authentication is a security protocol designed to enhance user verification, making it harder for attackers to access accounts by requiring multiple forms of identification. This approach makes impersonation more difficult, rather than facilitating it.