Quick Answer
The answer is whaling, a highly targeted form of phishing that specifically goes after senior executives like the CEO or board members. This attack succeeds because the attacker impersonates a trusted authority figure—in this case, a board member—and crafts a message that exploits the executive’s sense of urgency and confidentiality, often requesting a wire transfer or sensitive data. On the Certified Ethical Hacker CEH exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish whaling from standard phishing or spear phishing, as whaling focuses on the “big fish” at the top of an organization. A common trap is confusing it with spear phishing, but remember: spear phishing targets any specific individual, while whaling is reserved for high-value targets like CEOs. To lock it in, use the memory tip: “Whaling hunts the whales—CEOs and board members—not the minnows.”
This CEH practice question tests your understanding of malware, social engineering and network attacks. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An attacker sends an email to the CEO of a company, pretending to be a board member and requesting a wire transfer for a confidential acquisition. Which social engineering attack is this?
Whaling
Whaling targets senior executives with personalized attacks.
Vishing
Why wrong: Vishing uses voice calls, not email.
Spear phishing
Why wrong: Spear phishing targets specific individuals, but whaling is a subset targeting high-value targets.
Phishing
Why wrong: Phishing is a general term; whaling is a specific type targeting executives.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Whaling
Whaling targets high-profile individuals (e.g., CEO) with a crafted message.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Whaling
Why this is correct
Whaling targets senior executives with personalized attacks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Vishing
Why it's wrong here
Vishing uses voice calls, not email.
Spear phishing
Why it's wrong here
Spear phishing targets specific individuals, but whaling is a subset targeting high-value targets.
Phishing
Why it's wrong here
Phishing is a general term; whaling is a specific type targeting executives.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the CEH exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Identify which CEH exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Malware, Social Engineering and Network Attacks — This question tests Malware, Social Engineering and Network Attacks — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Whaling — Whaling targets high-profile individuals (e.g., CEO) with a crafted message.
Identify which CEH exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. An attacker uses the Social Engineering Toolkit (SET) to craft a phishing email that appears to come from the company's CEO, requesting the recipient to urgently wire funds to a new vendor. This attack is BEST described as which type of social engineering?
hardWhy C: Whaling targets senior executives or high-profile individuals. The email impersonates the CEO, a typical whaling scenario. Spear phishing is targeted but not necessarily at executives.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
This CEH practice question is part of Courseiva's free EC-Council certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CEH exam.
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