Final answer:
Whaling is the type of attack that targets high-level executives through email, aiming to deceive them into revealing sensitive information or executing fraudulent transactions. It's a specific form of phishing directed at the 'big fish' of an organization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of attack that uses email and attempts to trick high-level executives is known as Whaling. This form of cyber attack is a subset of phishing, specifically tailored to target senior management and other high-profile individuals within an organization. Similar to phishing, whaling employs the tactic of sending deceptive emails that often mimic legitimate business correspondence, with the intention of tricking the recipient into divulging sensitive information, clicking on malicious links, or carrying out unauthorized transactions.
The main difference between Spear phishing and whaling is the target: while spear phishing can be aimed at various individuals within a company, whaling goes after the 'big fish', such as CEOs or CFOs, hence the name. Vishing, on the other hand, is voice phishing, which involves the use of phone calls instead of emails to carry out scams.