Phishing attacks typically aim to obtain what type of information?

Phishing attacks are malicious attempts to obtain sensitive information from individuals by disguising as a trustworthy entity in electronic communications. The primary goal of phishing is often to steal user credentials, which include usernames, passwords, and answers to security questions. By gaining access to these credentials, attackers can impersonate victims and gain unauthorized access to various accounts, such as email, banking, and social media.

User credentials are particularly valuable because they represent a gateway for further exploitation of the victim's online presence. With these credentials, attackers can compromise not only the original account but potentially other accounts that share the same login information, leading to broader security breaches and financial theft.

While physical addresses, personal identification numbers, and social security numbers can be targets for different types of attacks, phishing attacks predominantly focus on acquiring user credentials due to their immediate usefulness and potential for exploitation.