An organization has received complaints from a number of its customers that their data has been breached. However, after an investigation, the…

A supply chain attack occurs when a threat actor compromises a third-party vendor or partner that

an organization relies on. The attack is then propagated to the organization through trusted

connections or software updates.

Reason for Lack of Indicators of Compromise (IoCs):

The attack often occurs upstream (at a vendor), so the compromised organization may not detect any

direct signs of breach.

Trusted Components: Malicious code or backdoors may be embedded in trusted software updates or

services.

Real-World Example: The SolarWinds breach, where attackers compromised the software build

pipeline, affecting numerous organizations without direct IoCs on their systems.

Why Not the Other Options:

B . Zero-day attack: Typically leaves some traces or unusual behavior.

C . injection attack: Usually detectable through web application monitoring.

D . Man-in-the-middle attack: Often leaves traces in network logs.

CCOA Official Review Manual, 1st Edition Reference:

Chapter 6: Advanced Threats and Attack Techniques: Discusses the impact of supply chain attacks.

Chapter 9: Incident Response Planning: Covers the challenges of detecting supply chain

compromises.