Whaling
Spear phishing aimed at executives with signing power or privileged access. It goes after payments, strategic information or the executive's own mailbox.
Full definition
Whaling is spear phishing aimed at the most senior profiles in an organization: general management, finance, legal. The name comes from whale hunting, because the attacker invests more preparation in exchange for a bigger prize.
Typical goals are authorizing wire transfers, obtaining strategic information, or taking control of the executive's mailbox to launch internal fraud with real authority, the step that precedes business email compromise. Messages usually imitate legal, tax or board matters, with pressure for confidentiality and urgency.
Defense combines process controls (dual approval for payments, verification through a separate channel) with training designed for these roles, which are often left out of generic programs precisely because of their seniority.
Related terms
Spear phishing
Phishing aimed at a specific person, built with real data about their role, company and tools. Far more effective than mass campaigns.
Business email compromise (BEC)
Fraud where the attacker poses as an executive or vendor from a legitimate or spoofed mailbox to divert payments or data. It usually carries no malware.
Deepfake
Synthetic audio or video that imitates a real person. Applied to fraud, it turns a video call or voice note into an impersonation tool.
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