Which option is NOT a stage in the attack cycle?

Which option is NOT a stage in the attack cycle?

• A. Target
• B. Plan
• C. Deploy
• D. Protect

Answer: (D)

Attack cycles map the steps an attacker follows to reach a goal: first choosing a target, then outlining how to approach it, and finally deploying the tools or methods to execute the plan. These stages are about moving the intrusion forward. Protect, on the other hand, is about defense—putting safeguards in place, detecting threats, and responding to them. It’s a defensive action, not a step the attacker would take in their cycle, so it doesn’t belong as a stage in the attacker’s progression. The remaining options describe actions an attacker would perform to advance the intrusion: selecting a victim, planning the method, and implementing the delivery or access.

Attack cycles map the steps an attacker follows to reach a goal: first choosing a target, then outlining how to approach it, and finally deploying the tools or methods to execute the plan. These stages are about moving the intrusion forward. Protect, on the other hand, is about defense—putting safeguards in place, detecting threats, and responding to them. It’s a defensive action, not a step the attacker would take in their cycle, so it doesn’t belong as a stage in the attacker’s progression. The remaining options describe actions an attacker would perform to advance the intrusion: selecting a victim, planning the method, and implementing the delivery or access.