Washington Ethical Hacking Professional Exam
Questions And Correct Answer with Rational
(100% verified answer) Q & A 2026 /Instant
download PDF
1. What is the primary purpose of ethical hacking?
A. To damage computer systems
B. To steal sensitive information
C. To identify and fix security weaknesses
D. To create malware
Correct Answer: C. To identify and fix security weaknesses
Rationale: Ethical hackers legally test systems to discover vulnerabilities before
malicious attackers exploit them.
2. Which phase of ethical hacking involves gathering information about a target?
A. Exploitation
B. Reconnaissance
C. Reporting
D. Maintaining access
Correct Answer: B. Reconnaissance
Rationale: Reconnaissance focuses on collecting information such as IP addresses,
DNS records, and employee details.
3. Which tool is commonly used for network scanning?
A. Wireshark
B. Metasploit
,C. Nmap
D. John the Ripper
Correct Answer: C. Nmap
Rationale: Nmap is widely used for host discovery, service detection, and port
scanning.
4. What does the principle of confidentiality ensure?
A. Systems remain operational
B. Data is accurate
C. Information is accessible only to authorized users
D. Backups are available
Correct Answer: C. Information is accessible only to authorized users
Rationale: Confidentiality protects sensitive information from unauthorized
disclosure.
5. Which protocol is commonly targeted in password sniffing attacks?
A. HTTPS
B. SSH
C. Telnet
D. SFTP
Correct Answer: C. Telnet
Rationale: Telnet transmits credentials in plaintext, making it vulnerable to sniffing
attacks.
6. What is phishing?
A. A firewall configuration method
B. A social engineering attack used to steal information
,C. A type of encryption
D. A network scanning process
Correct Answer: B. A social engineering attack used to steal information
Rationale: Phishing tricks users into revealing credentials or sensitive data through
deceptive messages.
7. Which port does HTTPS commonly use?
A. 21
B. 25
C. 80
D. 443
Correct Answer: D. 443
Rationale: HTTPS uses port 443 to provide encrypted web communication.
8. What is a vulnerability assessment?
A. Destroying malware
B. Evaluating systems for weaknesses
C. Writing security policies
D. Recovering deleted files
Correct Answer: B. Evaluating systems for weaknesses
Rationale: Vulnerability assessments identify and prioritize security flaws in
systems.
9. Which type of malware encrypts files and demands payment?
A. Worm
B. Trojan
C. Spyware
D. Ransomware
, Correct Answer: D. Ransomware
Rationale: Ransomware locks or encrypts data until a ransom is paid.
10. What does SQL injection target?
A. Wireless networks
B. Databases through web applications
C. Email servers
D. Operating systems
Correct Answer: B. Databases through web applications
Rationale: SQL injection manipulates database queries through unsanitized user
input.
11. Which command in Linux displays active network connections?
A. ls
B. pwd
C. netstat
D. mkdir
Correct Answer: C. netstat
Rationale: Netstat provides details about active connections and listening ports.
12. What is the purpose of a firewall?
A. To cool servers
B. To filter network traffic
C. To store passwords
D. To create malware
Correct Answer: B. To filter network traffic
Rationale: Firewalls monitor and control incoming and outgoing traffic based on
rules.
Questions And Correct Answer with Rational
(100% verified answer) Q & A 2026 /Instant
download PDF
1. What is the primary purpose of ethical hacking?
A. To damage computer systems
B. To steal sensitive information
C. To identify and fix security weaknesses
D. To create malware
Correct Answer: C. To identify and fix security weaknesses
Rationale: Ethical hackers legally test systems to discover vulnerabilities before
malicious attackers exploit them.
2. Which phase of ethical hacking involves gathering information about a target?
A. Exploitation
B. Reconnaissance
C. Reporting
D. Maintaining access
Correct Answer: B. Reconnaissance
Rationale: Reconnaissance focuses on collecting information such as IP addresses,
DNS records, and employee details.
3. Which tool is commonly used for network scanning?
A. Wireshark
B. Metasploit
,C. Nmap
D. John the Ripper
Correct Answer: C. Nmap
Rationale: Nmap is widely used for host discovery, service detection, and port
scanning.
4. What does the principle of confidentiality ensure?
A. Systems remain operational
B. Data is accurate
C. Information is accessible only to authorized users
D. Backups are available
Correct Answer: C. Information is accessible only to authorized users
Rationale: Confidentiality protects sensitive information from unauthorized
disclosure.
5. Which protocol is commonly targeted in password sniffing attacks?
A. HTTPS
B. SSH
C. Telnet
D. SFTP
Correct Answer: C. Telnet
Rationale: Telnet transmits credentials in plaintext, making it vulnerable to sniffing
attacks.
6. What is phishing?
A. A firewall configuration method
B. A social engineering attack used to steal information
,C. A type of encryption
D. A network scanning process
Correct Answer: B. A social engineering attack used to steal information
Rationale: Phishing tricks users into revealing credentials or sensitive data through
deceptive messages.
7. Which port does HTTPS commonly use?
A. 21
B. 25
C. 80
D. 443
Correct Answer: D. 443
Rationale: HTTPS uses port 443 to provide encrypted web communication.
8. What is a vulnerability assessment?
A. Destroying malware
B. Evaluating systems for weaknesses
C. Writing security policies
D. Recovering deleted files
Correct Answer: B. Evaluating systems for weaknesses
Rationale: Vulnerability assessments identify and prioritize security flaws in
systems.
9. Which type of malware encrypts files and demands payment?
A. Worm
B. Trojan
C. Spyware
D. Ransomware
, Correct Answer: D. Ransomware
Rationale: Ransomware locks or encrypts data until a ransom is paid.
10. What does SQL injection target?
A. Wireless networks
B. Databases through web applications
C. Email servers
D. Operating systems
Correct Answer: B. Databases through web applications
Rationale: SQL injection manipulates database queries through unsanitized user
input.
11. Which command in Linux displays active network connections?
A. ls
B. pwd
C. netstat
D. mkdir
Correct Answer: C. netstat
Rationale: Netstat provides details about active connections and listening ports.
12. What is the purpose of a firewall?
A. To cool servers
B. To filter network traffic
C. To store passwords
D. To create malware
Correct Answer: B. To filter network traffic
Rationale: Firewalls monitor and control incoming and outgoing traffic based on
rules.
