312-85 Exam Dumps : Certified Threat Intelligence Analyst (CTIA)

The described activity involves pretending to be a legitimate or authorized person in order to gather sensitive information. This social engineering technique is known as Impersonation.

Impersonation is a form of deception in which the attacker pretends to be someone else — such as an employee, contractor, or service technician — to gain access to restricted information or areas. In this method, the attacker often relies on trust, authority, or familiarity to manipulate others into revealing confidential data.

In the scenario, the analyst obtained information by observing terminals, searching desks, and examining bins while pretending to be a trusted individual. This fits the definition of impersonation rather than other social engineering methods.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:

Shoulder surfing: Involves directly observing someone’s screen or keyboard to capture credentials or data, not pretending to be someone else.

Piggybacking: Refers to physically following an authorized person into a restricted area without proper authentication.

Dumpster diving: Involves searching discarded items, such as trash or recycle bins, to find confidential information, without human interaction or pretense.

Conclusion:

The analyst used Impersonation to pose as an authorized person and collect sensitive data.

Final Answer: A. Impersonation

Explanation Reference (Based on CTIA Study Concepts):

From the CTIA study materials under “Social Engineering and Threat Collection Techniques,” impersonation is identified as a key human-based technique for gathering information during reconnaissance.

In the scenario described, where attackers have penetrated the network and are staging data for exfiltration, Jim should focus on monitoring network traffic for signs of malicious file transfers, implement file integrity monitoring, and scrutinize event logs. This approach is crucial for detecting unusual activity that could indicate data staging, such as large volumes of data being moved to uncommon locations, sudden changes in file integrity, or suspicious entries in event logs. Early detection of these indicators can help in identifying the staging activity before the data is exfiltrated from the network.

A model where all threat data is collected, analyzed, and distributed through a single central hub defines a Centralized Exchange Architecture.

In this architecture:

All participants send their data to a central system.

The central hub processes, correlates, and redistributes intelligence.

It ensures uniform analysis, consistency, and efficient management.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:

A. Decentralized: Each participant shares data directly with others without a central hub.

B. Federated: Each organization maintains its own data but participates in shared analysis through agreed protocols.

C. Hybrid: Combines elements of centralized and decentralized systems for flexibility.

Conclusion:

The described setup represents a Centralized Exchange Architecture.

Final Answer: D. Centralized exchange architecture

Explanation Reference (Based on CTIA Study Concepts):

CTIA classifies centralized architectures as systems that collect and distribute threat data through a single authoritative node.