Google’s Jigsaw publishes new quiz to test your ability to identify phishing emails

Ben Schoon | Jan 22 2019 - 12:25 pm PT

Millions of people fall for phishing emails on a daily basis. While some are incredibly obvious, others are actually fairly well hidden and average users can miss warning signs. Today, Google’s Jigsaw unit has published a quiz to test your ability to spot phishing emails.

Explained in a blog post, Jigsaw explains that phishing is the most common form of cyberattack, with about one percent of emails sent today being phishing attempts. For attackers, these emails are designed to steal your passwords in order to get into your accounts.

The quiz Jigsaw has put together has been based on security training with “nearly 10,000 journalists, activists, and political leaders around the world from Ukraine to Syria to Ecuador.” It also pulls in data from actual phishing emails that attackers are using. The 8-question test helps you better be able to identify phishing emails before you fall for them.

The best protection against phishing is two-factor authentication… But the second-best protection against phishing is knowing how to spot it in the first place. It’s not always as easy as it looks — attackers have become more sophisticated at making their phishing attempts seem legit.

The test is available now for users on the web. You can take the quiz on pretty much any device and, hopefully, it’ll help you to better protect yourself from sketchy emails.