What types of cyberattacks could a financial corporation be experiencing if transactions are being manipulated and there is a surge in failed login attempts?

What types of cyberattacks could a financial corporation be experiencing if transactions are being manipulated and there is a surge in failed login attempts?

• A. Phishing and smishing attacks
• B. On-path and brute force attacks
• C. SQL injection and malware attacks
• D. Man-in-the-middle and DDoS attacks

Answer: (B)

In the context of a financial corporation experiencing manipulated transactions and a surge in failed login attempts, the correct answer points to on-path and brute force attacks.

On-path attacks, often referred to as man-in-the-middle attacks, involve an attacker intercepting and potentially altering communications between two parties. This could lead to transaction manipulation. When attackers gain access to the communication channel, they can alter transaction details, making it appear that the transaction is legitimate when it is not.

Brute force attacks involve systematically attempting various combinations of usernames and passwords to gain unauthorized access to accounts. A surge in failed login attempts suggests that an attacker is trying to brute-force their way into user accounts, which could lead to unauthorized transactions or data breaches in a financial context.

This situation indicates serious security concerns, as both types of attacks align perfectly with the issues of transaction manipulation and numerous failed login attempts.

The other options, while they may involve different types of attacks, do not capture the specific scenarios of transaction manipulation combined with unauthorized access attempts as accurately.