What is phishing, spear phishing, and whaling?
D2 · Threats · CompTIA Security+ SY0-701All three are social engineering attacks delivered via email, but differ in targeting:
🎣 Phishing — Mass email scam sent to thousands, generic lures (e.g., "Your account is suspended").
🎯 Spear phishing — Targeted at a specific person or organization using personalized details.
🐳 Whaling — Spear phishing aimed at executives (CEO, CFO) — high-value targets.
📞 Vishing — Voice phishing (phone calls).
📱 Smishing — SMS phishing (text messages).
🎣 Phishing — Mass email scam sent to thousands, generic lures (e.g., "Your account is suspended").
🎯 Spear phishing — Targeted at a specific person or organization using personalized details.
🐳 Whaling — Spear phishing aimed at executives (CEO, CFO) — high-value targets.
📞 Vishing — Voice phishing (phone calls).
📱 Smishing — SMS phishing (text messages).
The more targeted the attack, the harder it is to detect. Whaling emails often impersonate legal firms or regulators. Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a form of whaling.