Hard1 markMultiple Choice
CPA · Question 21 · Area I: Information Systems
A company uses a blockchain ledger to record supply chain transactions. An auditor is assessing the risk of '51% attacks'. What is the primary implication of a successful 51% attack on a blockchain?
A company uses a blockchain ledger to record supply chain transactions. An auditor is assessing the risk of '51% attacks'. What is the primary implication of a successful 51% attack on a blockchain?
Answer options:
A.
The attacker can steal funds from any wallet on the network.
B.
The attacker can reverse their own transactions and double-spend coins/tokens.
C.
The attacker can decrypt all historical data on the blockchain.
D.
The attacker can permanently shut down the internet.
How to approach this question
Understand Blockchain consensus. If you control 51%, you control the 'truth' of the ledger's recent history.
Full Answer
B.The attacker can reverse their own transactions and double-spend coins/tokens.✓ Correct
A 51% attack allows an entity to control the consensus mechanism, enabling them to exclude new transactions or reverse their own recent transactions, leading to double-spending.
Common mistakes
Thinking a 51% attack allows stealing everyone's money (it doesn't break cryptography/keys).
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