What is the primary characteristic of spoofing in email-based attacks?

The primary characteristic of spoofing in email-based attacks is concealing identity. Spoofing involves forging the sender's email address or other identifying information to make it appear as though the email is coming from a trusted source. This is done to deceive the recipient into believing that the message is legitimate, which can lead to various malicious activities such as phishing, spreading malware, or stealing sensitive information.

While sending mass emails might be a tactic used in larger spam campaigns, it is not inherently linked to the concept of spoofing. Manipulating email content can occur in various contexts, such as crafting deceptive messages, but it does not define spoofing itself. Encrypting messages, on the other hand, is a method used to secure the contents of an email and is not related to spoofing, which focuses on misrepresentation rather than content security. Thus, the essence of spoofing is fundamentally about hiding the true identity of the sender.