Prtxtng s typ f scl ngnrng ttck tht nvlvs sttn, r prtxt, crtd by n ttckr n rdr t lr vctm nt vlnrbl sttn nd t trck thm nt gvng prvt nfrmtn, spcfclly nfrmtn tht th vctm wld typclly nt gv tsd th cntxt f th prtxt. n ts hstry, prtxtng hs bn dscrbd s th frst stg f scl ngnrng, nd hs bn sd by th FB t d n nvstgtns. spcfc xmpl f prtxtng s rvrs scl ngnrng, n whch th ttckr trcks th vctm nt cntctng th ttckr frst.
rsn fr prtxtng's prvlnc mng scl ngnrng ttcks s ts rlnc n mnpltng th hmn mnd n rdr t gn ccss t th nfrmtn th ttckr wnts, vrss mnpltng tchnlgcl systm. Whn lkng fr vctms, ttckrs cn wtch t fr vrty f chrctrstcs, sch s blty t trst, lw prcptn f thrt, rspns t thrty, nd sscptblty t rct wth fr r xctmnt n dffrnt sttns. Thrght hstry, prtxtng ttcks hv ncrsd n cmplxty, hvng vlvd frm mnpltng prtrs vr th phn n th 1900s t th Hwltt Pckrd scndl n th 2000s, whch nvlvd th s f scl scrty nmbrs, phns, nd bnks. Crrnt dctn frmwrks n scl ngnrng r sd n rgnztns, lthgh rsrchrs n cdm hv sggstd pssbl mprvmnts t ths frmwrks.