Describe what a phishing attack entails.

Phishing attacks are quite insidious because they rely on deception to trick individuals into divulging sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, or credit card details. In these attacks, the malicious actor typically impersonates a trusted entity, such as a reputable organization, bank, or service provider, often through email or instant messaging.

The goal is to create a sense of urgency or trust, prompting the recipient to act quickly without skepticism. For example, an email might claim that there is a problem with the recipient's account and instruct them to click on a link that leads to a falsified website designed to look legitimate. When users input their personal information on this site, it is captured by the attacker.

In contrast, the other options describe different types of threats or processes not related to phishing. A direct attack on a system’s defenses through brute force refers to attempts to gain unauthorized access by guessing passwords, while encrypting data for secure transfer is a method used to protect information, not to acquire it. Lastly, the process of recovering lost data deals with data retrieval, which does not involve deceptive techniques aimed at acquiring sensitive information.