Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

A hoax letter is a type of message designed to create fear or concern by falsely claiming the existence of a computer virus threat. These letters often encourage recipients to forward the message to others in order to spread the misinformation. They may provide alarming details about the supposed virus and urge the recipient to take actions that are unnecessary and based on a fabricated threat.

In contrast, phishing emails are attempts to trick individuals into providing sensitive information, such as usernames and passwords, often by masquerading as a trustworthy entity. Spam refers to unsolicited messages, typically in bulk, promoting products or services, without a specific focus on computer threats. Chain letters typically involve a request for the recipient to forward the message to others, spreading the information rapidly, but they are not specifically focused on hoaxes related to technology threats like viruses. Thus, the defining characteristic of a hoax letter is its focus on falsely alerting recipients to a non-existent threat, which makes it the correct answer.