Phishing

Phishing is a form of social engineering in which cybercriminals attempt to persuade individuals to disclose confidential information or perform specific actions. Attackers commonly use fraudulent emails, text messages, websites or other communications that appear to originate from trusted companies, authorities or known individuals. Targets may include login credentials, payment information and other sensitive data. Messages often contain links to malicious websites or harmful file attachments. More targeted variants include Spear Phishing, which focuses on selected individuals, and Whaling, which targets senior executives or other high-profile individuals. Protective measures include spam and phishing filters, multi-factor authentication, technical email security mechanisms and regular security awareness training. Phishing remains a common attack vector in cybersecurity.