Google quiz tells you how likely you are to fall for phishing – and it’s pretty scary

Receiving phishing emails or texts is never fun. We all get them and, hey, most of us will be caught out too at some point. But how likely are you to fall for a scam?

That’s what a new quiz, designed by Google’s Jigsaw team, hopes to find out. To see if you can spot the tell-tale signs of phishing, they have come up with a new interactive challenge – and it’s catching a lot of people out!

“Every day millions of people click on bogus links in phishing emails,” said Justin Henck, Jigsaw Product Manager, in a statement. “[They are] messages designed to steal your password or make you download malware.

“That’s why we created a quiz that helps you learn to better spot phishing emails, complete with the latest tricks and techniques.

How can I take this quiz?

It’s simple. Head over to this link (Don’t worry, no phishing here!) and all will be explained. You will get eight example messages to tackle, some are legitimate others are scams.

Google has created a quiz to explain the issues around phishing. Credit: Google

In fact, lots of the messages included are based on real events that caused worldwide notoriety. So, don’t worry if you fall for them, you won’t be alone!

After you’ve answered, rightly or wrongly, Google sheds more light on how to spot the scam. This FileHippo writer was tripped up a few times, only managing to correctly answer five of the eight. To be honest, it was guesser’s luck that he got that far!

What is phishing?

“Phishing is all about stealing your password,” Henck continued. “Attackers send you an appealing message – maybe free money, a faraway prince who needs your help, or a bogus security alert – that includes a link where you’re asked to enter your personal information or password, giving attackers access to your account.

“Gmail and other top email services catch the vast majority of these bogus messages, but you’ve probably seen an example. In the case of more sophisticated attacks, phishing messages might look like a legitimate email written by someone you know.

“These so-called ‘spear-phishing’ attacks are often one of the first steps of larger cyberattacks, where attackers use a carefully constructed email to fool someone into entering their login credentials into a fake page.”

What did the phishing quiz teach us?

Anyone can fall for phishing, it’s as simple as that. It’s the most common form of cyberattack, 1% of emails sent today are phishing attempts. These attempts can also lead to pretty serious consequences too.

Do you know how to spot the signs of phishing? Take our new quiz to find out. https://t.co/DmihjPMMSe pic.twitter.com/pU0zJrrnQ2

— Jigsaw (@Jigsaw) January 22, 2019

Google suggested hovering over URLs to check where they direct you to. Poor grammar can also be a giveaway too, as well as email address spelling.

Also, quite often phishing emails may claim to be from well-known companies – like Google or Dropbox. Don’t be fooled.

How else can I protect myself against phishing?

Jigsaw add: “The best protection against phishing is two-factor authentication. When you have two-factor authentication enabled, even if an attacker successfully steals your password they won’t be able to access your account.”

Google also offers Chrome extension Password Alert, which protects you from entering passwords into a fake login page. The main way to stay safe, however, is to know how to spot the phishing signs.

That’s why Jigsaw created their Phishing Quiz, after all. So, head on over and give it your best shot!

Looking for other ways to stay secure on the web?

Well, you’ve come to the right place. Sadly, phishing isn’t the only danger out there, but there’s scores of software designed to keep you safe.

Take a look at FileHippo’s extensive collection of cybersecurity programs to put your mind at rest right away!