If you’ve heard a talk about computer privacy or security, you’ve probably heard the admonition “Don’t click on a link in an email unless you’re sure of what it’s linking to.” (or some variant thereof). Jigsaw, a subsidiary of Alphabet (Google’s parent company) has put together a quiz to illustrate what that looks like and how to do it. There are eight samples, so it doesn’t take long.

You can access the quiz here <https://phishingquiz.withgoogle.com>

This page is safe and the quiz results go nowhere beyond your computer. The quiz requires you to make up a user name and an email address (they don’t leave your computer and you can use anything you like. It’s just used to make the test emails more realistic.)

When taking the quiz, hover your mouse (or finger, if on a tablet or phone) over the link to see the actual link address. Then try to decide if the email and its included link is a fake (phishing email) or real.

Give it a try. You will probably learn something about what to look for. It can be tricky if you aren’t paying close attention. I didn’t get them all right the first time I tried it. It also illustrates how deceptive fake phishing emails can be.

Ward Stanke