June 14, 2023, 6:30 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Fraudsters attempt daily to obtain data from unsuspecting users through phishing emails. Google aims to raise awareness about identifying these emails with a quiz.
According to a survey, phishing attempts (31.7 percent) and emails with malicious links or attachments (21.2 percent) ranked as the top two IT security incidents in Germany in 2021. The classic email remains one of the most popular gateways for malware. Criminals use various and increasingly sophisticated methods to obtain passwords and personal data from their victims. Some phishing emails are easy to spot due to spelling errors, incorrect formatting, or other characteristics. Others are very well-crafted and look deceptively real. Can you reliably identify phishing emails?
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Google’s Phishing Quiz as a Self-Test
The company Jigsaw, a subsidiary and innovation hub of Google’s parent company Alphabet, aims to highlight the dangers and methods of typical phishing attempts with a quiz. With eight questions, you can test your sensitivity to dangerous content and see if you can recognize phishing emails. Initially, you must provide a name and email address—both can be fictitious, as the goal is a realistic simulation. You must decide whether each of the eight emails is a legitimate message or a phishing attempt. The “mail program” interface is interactive, allowing you to examine the sender more closely. After the resolution, the program also shows additional points to consider for each email.
Read also: Fraudsters target Booking.com users with nasty scams
The quiz was developed based on security training that Google conducted with more than 10,000 politicians, activists, and journalists worldwide. Thus, the quiz is a good supplement for raising awareness about phishing attempts. However, it is not suitable as the sole basis, as it overlooks some important aspects.
Also of interest: Can the boss read my work emails?
Tips for Recognizing Phishing Emails
Google provides additional tips in the phishing quiz on how to recognize the authenticity of an email. Poor language or inconsistent design can already reveal an email as fake. But beware! Not every phishing email is immediately recognizable. Do not let the content, such as urgently worded instructions or threatened legal consequences, pressure you. Instead, ask yourself if it is plausible that the (supposed) sender would contact you by email. If necessary, try to verify the email by reaching out to the claimed sender through another communication channel.
Do not respond to the emails and under no circumstances click on any links contained within. Only download attachments from absolutely trusted sources. TECHBOOK has compiled a guide on how to recognize and handle phishing emails. As protection against future attacks on sensitive data, experts generally recommend two-factor authentication, which is now standard on many online platforms.