nerdexam
(ISC)2

SSCP · Question #1335

A boot sector virus goes to work when what event takes place?

The correct answer is A. Reboot or system startup. A boot sector virus becomes active and executes its malicious code during the initial system startup or reboot process.

Submitted by yaw92· Apr 18, 2026Security Concepts and Practices

Question

A boot sector virus goes to work when what event takes place?

Options

  • AReboot or system startup
  • BFile is deleted
  • CFile is saved
  • DMarch 16th

How the community answered

(44 responses)
  • A
    93% (41)
  • C
    2% (1)
  • D
    5% (2)

Why each option

A boot sector virus becomes active and executes its malicious code during the initial system startup or reboot process.

AReboot or system startupCorrect

A boot sector virus infects the Master Boot Record (MBR) or the volume boot record of a storage device, meaning it is loaded into memory and executed before the operating system itself whenever the system starts up or reboots.

BFile is deleted

Deleting a file does not trigger the activation of a boot sector virus; its operation is tied to the system's boot sequence.

CFile is saved

Saving a file does not activate a boot sector virus, as its infection and execution mechanism are focused on the boot process.

DMarch 16th

While some viruses are time-triggered, 'March 16th' is a specific date and not the general or primary activation event for a boot sector virus.

Concept tested: Boot sector virus activation

Topics

#Boot sector virus#Malware#System startup#Virus types

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