Which technique is characterized by targeted cyber-attacks aimed at stealing sensitive data?

The technique characterized by targeted cyber-attacks aimed at stealing sensitive data is spear-phishing. This method involves crafting highly personalized and deceptive emails or messages to specific individuals or organizations. Attackers often research their targets to tailor the content in a way that makes it appear legitimate, increasing the likelihood that the recipient will engage with the malicious link or attachment.

Spear-phishing is particularly concerning because it focuses on specific individuals, often within an organization, and aims to exploit trust and familiarity to gain unauthorized access to confidential information. Factors such as social engineering play a crucial role, enabling cybercriminals to bypass traditional security measures through psychological manipulation.

The other options pertain to broader concepts in intelligence and operations. Overt operations refer to activities conducted openly without secrecy, while covert operations are those that are carried out in secret but do not specifically focus on cyber-attacks or data theft. Intelligence collection tradecraft encompasses a range of techniques and strategies used to gather intelligence but does not exclusively refer to the targeted nature of spear-phishing attacks that focus on stealing sensitive information.