Isn’t clicking on a phishing link only a first step? You have to also input some sort of information, don’t you?
For example, if you click on a phish link that purports to be from your bank, but don’t do anything additionally stupid, like entering your account information and validating passwords—which is what the phisher is after—no harm is done, right?
So, if Hillary clicked on a porn link—probably of young semi-nude Arabic women (heh, heh)—but didn’t subscribe by entering additional info, would it matter? Aside, from telling us how foolish she was for not having ignored it in the first place, that is.
“no harm is done, right?”
Nope.
Check comment #9. The link took her to a malicious website that infected her device.
Yes, phishing is an attempt to get you to click on an embedded email link, usually disguising its self as being from your bank or credit card company, even the IRS in an attempt to get you to enter your SSN, DOB, account number and password, etc.
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0003-phishing
However, clicking on an embedded email link or opening a PDF attachment can install malware or spyware on your computer.