An attacker crafts a message that appears to be from a trusted source, but in reality it redirects the recipient to a malicious site where information is harvested. The message is narrowly tailored so it is effective on only a small number of victims. This describes which of the following?
A. Spear phishing B. Phishing C. Smurf attack D. Vishing
Answer: A
Explanation: Spear phishing is an e-mail spoofing fraud attempt that targets a specific organization, seeking unauthorized access to confidential data. As with the e-mail messages used in regular phishing expeditions, spear phishing messages appear to come from a trusted source. Phishing messages usually appear to come from a large and well-known company or Web site with a broad membership base, such as eBay or PayPal. In the case of spear phishing, however, the apparent source of the e-mail is likely to be an individual within the recipient’s own company and generally someone in a position of authority.