Spear phishing is a targeted email attack purporting to be from a trusted sender. The ultimate aim is to either infect devices with malware by convincing the recipient to click a link or download an attachment, or to trick the recipient into taking some other action that will benefit the attacker, usually handing over information or money. The name derives from “fishing” (with the “ph” being part of the tradition of whimsical hacker spelling), and the analogy is of an angler throwing out a baited hook (the phishing email)”]

