What is a phishing attack?

What is a phishing attack?

• A. A physical breach of security
• B. An attempt to gain sensitive information through deception
• C. A technique for data encryption
• D. A method for securing corporate emails

Answer: (B)

Phishing is an attempt to obtain sensitive information through deception. Attackers pose as legitimate entities—often via emails, text messages, or calls—and trick you into sharing passwords, account numbers, or financial details, or into installing malware. You’ll typically see urgency, spoofed sender details, or links to fake websites that look real, all designed to bypass your skepticism. Understanding this helps you recognize why the best description is deception aimed at harvesting secrets, rather than anything technical like encryption or physical access. It isn’t a physical breach, which would involve breaking into a place; it isn’t a method for encrypting data, which protects information; and it isn’t a technique for securing corporate emails, which would be defensive rather than exploitative.

Phishing is an attempt to obtain sensitive information through deception. Attackers pose as legitimate entities—often via emails, text messages, or calls—and trick you into sharing passwords, account numbers, or financial details, or into installing malware. You’ll typically see urgency, spoofed sender details, or links to fake websites that look real, all designed to bypass your skepticism. Understanding this helps you recognize why the best description is deception aimed at harvesting secrets, rather than anything technical like encryption or physical access. It isn’t a physical breach, which would involve breaking into a place; it isn’t a method for encrypting data, which protects information; and it isn’t a technique for securing corporate emails, which would be defensive rather than exploitative.