Phishing attacks arenot limited to local networks, making option A the correct answer. Modern phishing techniques are designed to operate over the internet and target victims globally using email, messaging platforms, social networks, and malicious websites.
In ethical hacking and cybersecurity training, phishing demonstrations often begin in controlled or local environments to teach fundamental concepts safely. However, the same techniques—such as fake login pages, credential harvesting, and social manipulation—are widely used by attackers outside local networks. These attacks rely on human interaction rather than network proximity.
Option B is incorrect because phishing does not require local network access. Option C is incorrect because phishing works across many devices, including desktops, laptops, and mobile phones.
From a security trends perspective, phishing remains one of themost effective and prevalent cyberattack methods. Attackers continuously adapt their techniques to bypass email filters and exploit human trust. Ethical hackers study phishing to help organizations improve awareness, email security, and authentication mechanisms.
Understanding that phishing operates beyond local environments reinforces the importance of user training, multi-factor authentication, and proactive monitoring. Ethical testing helps organizations reduce the risk posed by phishing attacks in real-world scenarios.