what is spear phising

Spear phishing is a type of phishing attack that targets specific individuals or groups within an organization. It is a malicious tactic that uses emails, social media, instant messaging, and other platforms to get users to divulge personal information or perform actions that cause network compromise, data loss, or financial loss. Unlike phishing campaigns that are broad and automated, spear phishing is highly targeted and requires advanced hacking techniques and a great amount of research on the targets. Spear phishing emails are designed to appear legitimate and often include information specific to the target, such as their name and rank within the company. The goal of spear phishing is to steal sensitive information such as login credentials, financial documents, or confidential company information. These attacks take advantage of our most basic human traits, such as a desire to be helpful, provide a positive response to those in authority, or simple curiosity about contemporary news and events. Spear phishing emails may contain malicious links or attachments that, when opened, can download unwanted information onto a users computer or compromise the security posture of the host.