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The term that describes the act of obtaining confidential data by peering over someone’s shoulder is "shouldering." This practice involves observing someone as they enter personal information, such as passwords or PINs, on their devices. It can occur in public spaces where individuals might not be aware that they are being watched.

The other terms presented refer to different types of data breaches or security threats. Hacking typically involves unauthorized access to computer systems or networks. Snooping generally refers to eavesdropping or secretly observing someone’s activities, but it is not specifically limited to the context of peering over a shoulder. Phishing pertains to deceptive attempts to acquire sensitive information by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in electronic communication, such as emails. Each of these terms is relevant to cybersecurity but does not specifically describe the action of observation that occurs in shouldering.