Several new security features and improvements of old ones have been introduced to Gmail. The reason is to improve the protection against phishing emails which have been a real menace to users, distributing malware and ransomware of the worst kind.
New Anti-Phishing Features Introduced to G Suite
More specifically, these new features are meant for G Suite, previously known as Google Apps for Work, which are intended for businesses and organizations of various sizes. G Suite includes various services such as Gmail, Calendar, Google+, Google Drive.
So, what are the new features all about? Shortly said, early phishing detection and unintended external reply warnings have been introduced to the services.
“Phishing attempts follow a predictable pattern when you look at them in aggregate, and Gmail’s security experts have developed a new algorithm that flags and delays potentially suspicious messages,” the company explained.
With enhanced pre-delivery message scanning, Gmail will identify if an email is of phishing origin. The feature improves the way Gmail identifies phishing content. “When Gmail detects suspicious content, it introduces a short delivery delay to perform additional checks. Gmail does this through a setting turned on for all domains and controlled in the Admin Console”.
The content of emails is also run through additional checks based on real-time, last-minute updates to Google’s spam filter and Safe Browsing technology. These will test the results of any hyperlinks contained within the email body.
The delivery of suspicious emails can be delayed by up to 4 minutes. Admins should not underestimate the employment of anti-malware and specialized phishing solutions as this feature will not be enough. It is best if security software is deployed together with this feature.
Unintended External Reply Warning Prevent Unintentional Data Loss
As for the unintended external reply warning – they serve to prevent unintentional data loss. A good example here is when users unintentionally share data with senders of fake emails, or when users simply sent data by mistake to the wrong contact.
These warning can be removed if they are not topical. They won’t show up if the user sent the email from a secondary domain or a domain alias.
Users should keep in mind that the two new features are on by default. Admins should turn them off in case they decide to do so.
Milena Dimitrova
An inspired writer and content manager who has been with SensorsTechForum since the project started. A professional with 10+ years of experience in creating engaging content. Focused on user privacy and malware development, she strongly believes in a world where cybersecurity plays a central role. If common sense makes no sense, she will be there to take notes. Those notes may later turn into articles! Follow Milena @Milenyim
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