Which attack involves a computer pretending to be another device to gain resource access, typically by forging MAC or IP addresses?

• A. Spoofing
• B. Spear-Phishing
• C. Spam
• D. Spyware

Answer: (A)

Spoofing is the act of impersonating another device by forging its identifiers (like MAC or IP addresses) to trick systems into granting access or services. By presenting a fake MAC or IP, the attacker pretends to be a trusted device, which can bypass simple access controls and gain resources the device is entitled to. This highlights the core idea: trust based on identifiers can be exploited when those identifiers are forged. In contrast, spear-phishing uses targeted social engineering to steal credentials, spam is unsolicited bulk messages, and spyware is malicious software that secretly collects information; none of those rely on impersonating a device through forged network identifiers.