Spear phishing is a type of cyber attack that targets specific individuals or groups within an organization by sending counterfeit messages that appear to be legitimate. The goal of spear phishing is to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and other personal information, or to infect the targets device with malware. Spear phishers carefully research their targets, so the attack appears to be from trusted senders in the targets’ life. They use social engineering techniques to urge the victim to click on a malicious link or attachment, which can compromise the security posture of the host.

Spear phishing is different from phishing in that it is highly targeted and personalized, whereas phishing is a broader term for any attempt to trick victims into sharing sensitive information such as passwords, usernames, and credit card details for malicious reasons. Phishing campaigns are very broad and automated, while spear phishing requires advanced hacking techniques and a great amount of research on their targets.

Spear phishing attacks are dangerous and easy to fall for because they contain details relating to the specific recipient, making them appear more legitimate. To mitigate against attacks like this, it is important to recognize the basic tactics used in spear phishing emails, such as tax-related fraud, CEO fraud, business email compromise scams, and other social engineering tactics. It is also important to refrain from clicking on links or attachments in emails from unknown or suspicious sources, and to always think before clicking.