Piggybacking vs. Tailgating: Which Involves Knowingly Allowing Access?

N10-008 By islever Editorial Last updated

Short answer

A Piggybacking

Question

Which of the following describes a situation in which an employee knowingly allows someone access to a restricted area without verifying authentication?
  1. Piggybacking Correct Answer
  2. Tailgating
  3. Shoulder surfing
  4. Phishing

Key Takeaways

The trap is confusing piggybacking and tailgating; piggybacking explicitly involves the authorized person's awareness and consent, whereas tailgating is the unauthorized person following quietly without consent.

CompTIA Network+ N10-008 tests your ability to distinguish piggybacking from tailgating in physical security scenarios. The community unanimously confirms that when an employee knowingly allows unauthorized access, the correct term is piggybacking.

Common mistake: Choosing B. Tailgating is the common mistake. Test takers often mix up the two terms, but tailgating refers to someone slipping in behind an authorized person without their knowledge, which contradicts the question's phrase 'knowingly allows'.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

Option A is correct because piggybacking is defined as an authorized person knowingly allowing an unauthorized individual to enter a restricted area. The question explicitly states 'knowingly allows someone access,' and multiple commenters point out that piggybacking is the term used when the authorized employee is aware and consents. Commenter [2] summarized it well: 'piggyback is knowing, tailgating is the person sneaking in behind.'

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Tailgating (B) is the most tempting wrong answer because both terms describe unauthorized entry via an authorized person. However, tailgating implies the unauthorized person follows behind without the employee's knowledge or consent, often catching the door just before it closes. Shoulder surfing (C) is completely different — it involves peeking over someone's shoulder to obtain sensitive information such as PINs or passwords. Phishing (D) is a social engineering attack delivered via email or messages designed to trick users into revealing credentials or clicking malicious links.

Community Comment Notes

The community is overwhelmingly confident in answer A, as shown by the vote tally (A: 100). Commenter [1] explains the distinction with an analogy: to literally piggyback someone, you must be aware that they are on your back, whereas tailgating can happen silently. Commenter [3] also clarifies that tailgating is unknowingly letting someone in after you, for example someone follows you and catches the door. Commenter [4] reinforces 'It's done knowingly so — piggybacking.' These reliable, high-quality comments align perfectly with CompTIA's terminology and make it clear that the suggested answer A is correct.

Official Reference

https://www.comptia.org/training/resources/exam-objectives

This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

When answering physical security questions on the N10-008, ask yourself whether the authorized employee is aware and consenting. If yes, choose piggybacking; if the intruder sneaks in unnoticed, choose tailgating. Memorize this quick distinction — it is a straightforward point-scorer.

Community Votes

A
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer A. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 6 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 6

  1. arokace1 👍 7 Answered A
    Sometimes it's like this site didn't even try. Piggyback is correct. Tailgating is incorrect. The way I tell the difference is that in order for someone to LITERALLY piggyback on you (not in the security sense), you have to be aware and part of the piggyback. You wouldn't successfully carry (piggyback) someone on your back without your knowledge. Tailgating however, someone could just be tippy toeing behind you without your knowledge. It is much easier to get away with following someone without them knowing than piggybacking would ever be.
  2. priestb3 👍 5 Answered A
    piggyback is knowing, tailgating is the person sneaking in behind
  3. e5c1bb5 👍 4 Answered A
    this is piggybacking. tailgating is unknowingly letting someone in after you IE someone follows you in and catches the door.
  4. 13thFloor 👍 2 Answered A
    It's done knowingly so - piggybacking.
  5. TopUp 👍 1
    The answer is: A Here is the summary of what I found when I asked ChatGPT about this. In summary, while both tailgating and piggybacking involve unauthorized access to restricted areas, tailgating relies on closely following an authorized individual, whereas piggybacking involves accompanying them directly through a secure entry point.
Show 1 more comment
  1. Bunaventi 👍 1 Answered A
    def A piggybacking

Reader comments & corrections

No reader corrections yet — spotted an error or have a note? Share it below.

Log in to comment, report an error, or add a note about this question.

How to Resolve Printer-Workstation Connectivity Issues?

S-grade

Why Can a Workstation Reach the Internet but Not Internal Resources?

S-grade

Database server slow on access switch: move to core switch?

S-grade

Which Factor Most Impacts IDF Physical Design?

S-grade

← Back to N10-008 Study Guide