Phishing is defined as?

• A. Sending someone a fake email (or a doctored link in an email).
• B. A form of social engineering that relies on manipulation.
• C. A technique for authenticating securely.
• D. A method of data erasure.

Answer: (A)

Phishing hinges on deceiving someone into revealing sensitive information by pretending to be a trustworthy entity, typically through electronic messages. The most precise description is that it involves sending a fake email or including a doctored link in an email. That directly captures the tactic used to fool people into clicking and entering credentials or other data.

Phishing is indeed a form of social engineering, which is manipulation, but the standout characteristic is the actual deceptive communication—the fake email or altered link—that prompts the wrongdoing. The other options don’t fit because they describe legitimate security practices (secure authentication) or actions unrelated to deception (data erasure).