Which of the following describes a common outcome of a sophisticated cyber attack?

A sophisticated cyber attack typically leads to significant financial loss and a data breach for affected organizations. This outcome reflects the serious impact such attacks can have on an organization's operations, assets, and reputation. The financial loss may arise from theft of funds, costs associated with remediation, legal liabilities, and potential regulatory fines. Additionally, a data breach often involves unauthorized access to sensitive information, which can lead to both reputational damage and additional financial repercussions, as organizations may need to invest in security enhancements and public relations efforts to recover trust from customers and stakeholders.

While strengthened corporate policies can be a long-term response to such attacks, they do not directly result from the attack itself. Increased employee productivity is unlikely in the aftermath of an attack, as disruptions to systems and increased security measures often hinder workflows. Improved software reliability is also not a direct consequence of cyber attacks; in fact, the opposite often occurs, as vulnerabilities exposed during an attack may highlight flaws that need to be addressed. Thus, the most salient and immediate outcome of a sophisticated cyber attack is the financial loss and data breach.