Which type of email attack is characterized by its targeted approach, often at specific individuals?

Spear phishing is a type of email attack that particularly focuses on specific individuals or organizations, making it a targeted approach. Unlike generic phishing attacks that may be sent to a large number of people with the hope that some will fall victim, spear phishing narrows its focus to select individuals, often leveraging personal information to increase its effectiveness. This can include the use of social engineering techniques to craft messages that appear legitimate and trustworthy, which significantly enhances the likelihood of the recipient being deceived.

This targeted approach can involve detailed research on the individual or organization, such as understanding their roles, interests, or recent activities, to create a compellingly realistic email. This makes spear phishing particularly dangerous, as it can bypass traditional security measures that might catch more generic or mass-targeted attacks.

While other types of attacks like phishing, whaling, and spamming exist, they do not share the same level of personalization and specificity found in spear phishing, which is what allows it to be more effective in compromising individual accounts or sensitive information.