Email-based phishing attacks are as prominent as ever, and Google wants to help you spot those seeking to trick you through your Gmail account.
The company has posted a Phishing Quiz designed to test your current levels of resistance against attacks, while educating you on the signs that link you’re about to click is a scam.
Most tech-savvy folks are proficient in identifying the tell-tale signs of phishing; like dodgy-looking email addresses in the ‘From’ field, weird looking attachments, or spelling mistakes and broken English in emails claiming to be from your bank.
However, Google’s quiz features eight scenarios and asks you to choose whether the communication featured in the question is a phishing scam, or an email from a legitimate source.
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The quiz presents emails posing as share links for Google Docs documents, received fax communications, emails from Dropbox, as well as those tell-tale “Hey, do you remember THIS PHOTO” emails along with the requisite hyperlink.
Whether you’re correct or incorrect, Google will offer a “show me” button that’ll explain how you can tell whether the email is legitimate or phishing.
For example, on a legit email, Google might point to the recipient’s address as being legitimate, or warn that the presence of a PDF you weren’t expecting might be a sign someone is phishing.
Google already displays warnings when you receive correspondence from suspicious addresses, and will filter those emails from your inbox into the spam folder.
However, the company isn’t always perfect in halting the would-be phisherman. A glitch highlighted back in November last year potentially enabled scammers to place an email in the Gmail users’ sent folder, even if they hadn’t sent it (via Threatpost).
How did you score in Google’s phishing test? Do you think this kind of exercise is helpful for the non tech-savvy public? Share your score with us @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
