Masa is targeted by someone impersonating IT personnel. What type of attack is he experiencing?

Masa is experiencing an impersonation attack, where the attacker pretends to be someone he trusts—specifically, IT personnel. This type of attack relies on deception to gain the target's trust and then extract sensitive information or gain unauthorized access to systems. Impersonation attacks can take place through various channels, including email, phone calls, or in person, and they often exploit the victim's belief in the authority of the impersonator.

In this context, the impersonator is leveraging the trust associated with IT personnel to deceive Masa into providing information or taking actions that compromise security. While options such as phishing, spear phishing, and social engineering all involve deceptive tactics, they represent different nuances of attack strategies. Phishing generally involves deceptive emails that try to trick users into revealing personal information, while spear phishing is a more targeted variation of phishing aimed at specific individuals. Social engineering is a broader term that encompasses various tactics, including impersonation, but does not specifically highlight the act of pretending to be someone else. Thus, the directness of "impersonation" as it relates to the scenario is what makes this answer the most appropriate.