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Definition
Phishing is a type of social engineering attack where an attacker pretends to be a trusted person, company, or service. The goal is usually to trick the user into clicking a fake link, entering credentials, approving access, or sharing sensitive information.

Why it matters
Phishing matters because it targets people rather than only technical systems. It can lead to stolen passwords, account takeover, payment fraud, identity theft, and unauthorized access to business or personal accounts.

Example use case
A user receives an email that looks like it came from their workplace login portal. They click the link and enter their password on a fake page, allowing the attacker to capture the credentials and attempt access.