Final answer:
The best description of the attack where John is asked to click a link in a seemingly personalized email referencing a familiar association is C) Spear phishing. This type of phishing is customized to the target, using familiar information to gain trust.
Step-by-step explanation:
John is a sales manager at his company who has recently received an email which appears to be a phishing attempt. The email asks him to click a link to fill out a survey. While the email does reference a familiar major association, suggesting some level of customization for the recipient, it still appears suspicious. In this scenario, the best description for this type of attack is C) Spear phishing. Spear phishing attacks are often personalized to the target, making them more sophisticated and dangerous than regular phishing attempts. They use familiar information to gain trust and prompt the victim into taking an action, such as clicking a fraudulent link. It is crucial for individuals like John to be vigilant and critically assess emails, especially those that request personal information or to take immediate action. As in practices adopted by university IT departments, employees should be trained to recognize signs of phishing to prevent falling victim to such attacks. Spear phishing is a targeted form of phishing where the attacker tailors the phishing attempt to a specific individual or organization. In this scenario, the email appears to be directed at John, the sales manager, and includes information about a major association to make it seem more credible. The goal is to trick the recipient into clicking a link or providing sensitive information. Vishing typically involves voice communication (voice phishing), Whaling targets high-profile individuals or executives, and Pharming involves redirecting website traffic to fraudulent sites. Spear phishing, in this case, best fits the description of a targeted and customized phishing attack.