phishing
termsecurityhacking
Tricking someone into revealing credentials or running malware, usually by email.
Phishing weaponizes trust rather than code: a message that looks legitimate lures the target into clicking, logging in, or paying. "Spear phishing" is tailored to one person; "whaling" targets executives. It remains one of the most reliable ways in, because it attacks the human, not the firewall.
Also known as: spear phishing, spear-phishing, whaling