The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) receives a suspicious voice mail warning of credit card fraud. No one else
received the voice mail. Which of the following BEST describes this attack?

A.
Whaling

B.
Vishing

C.
Spear phishing

D.
Impersonation

Explanation:
Whaling is a specific kind of malicious hacking within the more general category of phishing, which involves
hunting for data that can be used by the hacker. In general, phishing efforts are focused on collecting personal
data about users. In whaling, the targets are high-ranking bankers, executives or others in powerful positions or
job titles.
Hackers who engage in whaling often describe these efforts as “reeling in a big fish,” applying a familiar
metaphor to the process of scouring technologies for loopholes and opportunities for data theft. Those who are
engaged in whaling may, for example, hack into specific networks where these powerful individuals work or
store sensitive data. They may also set up keylogging or other malware on a work station associated with one
of these executives. There are many ways that hackers can pursue whaling, leading C-level or top-level
executives in business and government to stay vigilant about the possibility of cyber threats.