What is Phishing?

A scam message that tricks you into giving up a password, money or access.

In plain English

Phishing messages pretend to come from someone you trust, such as a bank, a boss or a delivery company, and push you to click a link, open a file or share a code. Spear phishing targets a specific person with details that look convincing. Warning signs include urgency, an unexpected request, a mismatched sender address and a link that does not go where it claims.

Example

An email says your account will be closed in 24 hours unless you sign in through the link. The correct response is to go to the company’s site yourself, not through the link.

Where you will meet it

This idea belongs to the subject area of these practice tests. We do not publish or predict real exam questions.

• ISC2 CC practice tests
• Cisco CCST Cybersecurity practice tests
• CompTIA Tech+ practice tests

Related terms

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Proving who you are with two or more different kinds of evidence.
• CIA triad: Three goals of information security: confidentiality, integrity and availability.

Written and checked by the Be Ready Education team, last reviewed 2 November 2026. General study information, not professional advice. Providers change names and rules, so confirm details on the official documentation. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any certification vendor or exam body. Certification names, exam codes and product names are trademarks of their respective owners and are used only to identify the exam a practice product prepares for. Our questions are original and are not actual exam questions.