In cybersecurity, what does the term 'phishing' refer to?

Phishing refers to a technique used by cybercriminals to illegally obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, credit card details, and other confidential data. This is typically achieved by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in electronic communications. Phishing attacks often occur through email, social media, or other online platforms where attackers create convincing messages or fake websites that prompt individuals to enter their personal information.

The effectiveness of phishing lies in its ability to exploit human psychology, leveraging social engineering tactics to trick the target into believing they are interacting with a legitimate service. This method is a prevalent threat in cybersecurity, as it enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to accounts and sensitive data, often leading to identity theft, financial loss, or further compromise of systems.

The other concepts in the question do not align with the definition of phishing; for instance, intercepting communication refers to eavesdropping or man-in-the-middle attacks, a DDoS attack involves overwhelming a target with traffic to disrupt services, and protecting network traffic pertains to security measures like encryption and firewalls, which are the opposite of what phishing entails.