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FC0-U61 · Question #164

A user receives an email containing a link. When they hover the mouse over the link, the actual URL does not match the text in the body of the email and appears to be a string of random characters…

The correct answer is C. Delete the email without clicking on the link. The best course of action is to delete the suspicious email without clicking the link. Mismatched URLs with random characters are a strong indicator of a phishing attempt or malicious content.

Security

Question

A user receives an email containing a link. When they hover the mouse over the link, the actual URL does not match the text in the body of the email and appears to be a string of random characters. Which of the following is the BEST course of action?

Options

  • AForward the email to a friend to ask for advice.
  • BReply to the sender asking for confirmation that it is safe to open.
  • CDelete the email without clicking on the link.
  • DClick the link because malware protection software is installed on the computer.

How the community answered

(21 responses)
  • A
    5% (1)
  • B
    14% (3)
  • C
    76% (16)
  • D
    5% (1)

Why each option

The best course of action is to delete the suspicious email without clicking the link. Mismatched URLs with random characters are a strong indicator of a phishing attempt or malicious content.

AForward the email to a friend to ask for advice.

Forwarding the email to a friend could expose the friend to the same potential threat if they are not vigilant.

BReply to the sender asking for confirmation that it is safe to open.

Replying to a sender of a suspicious email confirms your email address is active and could encourage more spam or phishing attempts from malicious actors.

CDelete the email without clicking on the link.Correct

A mismatched URL with random characters when hovering over a link is a classic sign of a phishing attempt or a malicious link designed to hide the true destination. Deleting the email without clicking on the link is the safest way to prevent potential malware infection or credential theft.

DClick the link because malware protection software is installed on the computer.

Relying solely on malware protection software is risky because no software provides 100% protection against all threats, especially new or sophisticated ones.

Concept tested: Phishing identification and prevention

Source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/business/security-101/what-is-phishing

Topics

#phishing#email security#malware prevention

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