Which type of attack is designed to trick users into revealing personal information?

Phishing is a type of attack specifically designed to deceive users into disclosing sensitive personal information, such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, and other confidential details. Attackers often employ tactics like creating fake websites, sending fraudulent emails that appear to come from legitimate organizations, or employing social engineering techniques to persuade users to provide their information willingly.

The effectiveness of phishing lies in its ability to exploit human psychology, making it a significant threat in cybersecurity. Unlike techniques such as DDoS, which aims to overwhelm networks, or malware, which typically consists of harmful software designed to damage or infiltrate systems, phishing is fundamentally about manipulating individuals into acting against their own interests. Keylogging, while it also aims to capture personal data, does so via hardware or software that records keystrokes without user knowledge, differing from the overt deceit inherent in phishing attacks. Thus, phishing stands out as the primary method for tricking users into revealing their personal information.