As the security analyst for a financial institution, you uncover evidence of repeated access attempts on a user account during off-hours. Your investigation identifies that the attempts originate from a geographical location not sanctioned for any business operations. Which category of threat actor does this situation suggest is most likely involved?
A threat actor external to the organization using targeted measures to compromise systems
A novice individual testing their ability to infiltrate a network without malicious intent
An internal staff member attempting to access the network remotely with misconfigured settings
A case of shadow IT where individuals within the organization are using unapproved external services
The situation described indicates attempts to gain unauthorized access from a location outside of the standard business operation areas, suggesting an actor not associated with the organization. This fits the profile of an external actor, who is attempting to penetrate the network for potentially malicious purposes, such as stealing sensitive information or disrupting services. While internal employees may also attempt to gain unauthorized access, the geographical indicator and off-hours pattern are more indicative of an external threat. By contrast, unskilled attackers may not be capable of executing targeted attacks that avoid detection, and shadow IT refers to internal unauthorized technology use, rather than an attempt to breach from an external location.
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What methods do external threat actors typically use to compromise systems?
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What steps should a financial institution take if they detect repeated access attempts from an external threat actor?
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