What type of attacks often utilize social engineering tactics?

Phishing attacks are designed specifically to manipulate individuals into divulging sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, or credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity. This deceptive practice is a core component of social engineering, where attackers exploit human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities.

In phishing, common tactics include sending emails that mimic legitimate organizations, creating fake websites that look real, or using urgent language to provoke a quick response from victims. The goal is to trick the recipient into taking actions that compromise their security, making social engineering an integral part of these attacks.

In contrast, physical theft involves the actual stealing of physical items and does not inherently involve manipulating individuals to gain access or information. Denial of service attacks focus on overwhelming systems to disrupt services but do not utilize social engineering tactics. Lastly, while malware attacks can involve components of social engineering (such as through malicious attachments in phishing emails), the primary nature of malware is the exploitation of software vulnerabilities rather than direct manipulation of human behavior. Thus, phishing attacks stand out as the clear answer as they are fundamentally rooted in social engineering principles.