Which email exemplifies a whaling social engineering attempt?

Which email exemplifies a whaling social engineering attempt?

• A. Re: Lunch Today?
• B. Whaling
• C. Ethics Video Safe
• D. Executive Recruiting

Answer: (D)

Whaling is a targeted form of phishing aimed at high‑level executives to trick them into revealing credentials or authorizing actions that benefit the attacker. An email about Executive Recruiting fits this pattern because it is framed as a high-stakes, professional matter designed to catch the attention of someone in a leadership position. Such an email uses authority and urgency to prompt a response, making it more likely to deceive a busy executive into clicking a malicious link or sharing sensitive information. The other options don’t fit the threat model as well. A casual subject like Re: Lunch Today? is ordinary internal communication and unlikely to be crafted to manipulate an executive. The word Whaling itself isn’t an email. A vague subject like Ethics Video Safe doesn’t imply targeted, executive-focused manipulation.

Whaling is a targeted form of phishing aimed at high‑level executives to trick them into revealing credentials or authorizing actions that benefit the attacker. An email about Executive Recruiting fits this pattern because it is framed as a high-stakes, professional matter designed to catch the attention of someone in a leadership position. Such an email uses authority and urgency to prompt a response, making it more likely to deceive a busy executive into clicking a malicious link or sharing sensitive information.

The other options don’t fit the threat model as well. A casual subject like Re: Lunch Today? is ordinary internal communication and unlikely to be crafted to manipulate an executive. The word Whaling itself isn’t an email. A vague subject like Ethics Video Safe doesn’t imply targeted, executive-focused manipulation.