An employee receives a text message from an unknown number claiming to be the company’s Chief Executive Officer and asking the employee to purchase several gift cards. Which of the following types of attacks does this describe?

Smishing is correct because it specifically refers to phishing attacks conducted via SMS text messages. The scenario describes a text message from an unknown number, which is the key indicator of smishing. Vishing is incorrect because it involves voice communication (e.g., phone calls) to trick victims, not text messages. Pretexting is incorrect because it's a form of social engineering where an attacker invents a believable scenario (a "pretext") to gain information or access, but it doesn't specify the communication method as a text message. While the CEO impersonation is a form of pretext, the delivery method makes smishing the more precise answer. Phishing is incorrect because it's a broader term for fraudulent attempts to obtain sensitive information, often through email, and smishing is a specific type of phishing.