A Guide to Training Your Staff To Spot Phishing Threats

Phishing attacks keep evolving and one weak link can cost a business dearly. Here at Ashgoal we believe that people are the best defence when they know what they need to look for. This guide explains the simple steps needed to build awareness and good habits to take up so that your team is able to recognise suspicious messages quickly and respond correctly.

Why Spotting Phishing Matters

Phishing not only steals credentials and money, it also damages reputations and can disrupt operations. Teaching your staff to spot phishing reduces successful attacks and gives IT teams time to focus on prevention and recovery. When everyone understands common signs like unexpected attachments, urgent language and mismatched senders the workplace becomes more resilient.

Practical Training Steps

Start with short focused sessions rather than long lectures. Cover key topics and use real world examples that you staff are able to relate to.

• Explain common tactics, such as spearphishing cloned websites and impersonation emails
• Show examples of suspicious links, abnormal sender addresses and poor grammar
• Teach verification steps like checking the sender domain, contacting the sender directly and using tools to preview links safely

Keep the sessions interactive. Ask staff to highlight any red flags in examples, discuss appropriate responses and practice reporting procedures. Small group workshops can also help people learn from one another.

Simulated Phishing and Roleplay

Simulated phishing campaigns are an effective way to measure your staff’s awareness. Run controlled simulations that are able to mimic typical threats then follow up with tailored feedback. Roleplay exercises where staff have to respond to staged incidents, reinforce decision making under pressure and help refine your incident response.

Reinforce Learning and Measure Progress

One training session is not enough. Do regular refreshers with your staff, revisit e-learning modules and partake in micro quizzes to keep everyone’s knowledge fresh. Track metrics such as report rates, click rates and reporting time to show improvement. Celebrate teams that perform well and address any gaps with targeted coaching.

Common Red Flags to Spot Phishing

• Look for unexpected requests for credentials, urgent calls to action, suspicious attachments and poor personalisation
• Hover over links to view the destination, check for subtle domain typos and be wary of shortened URLs

Encourage your staff to question anything that feels odd and to use a verification channel such as a company directory lookup or a phone call to a known number.

Reporting Phishing Threats Within Your Organisation

Make reporting easy with an email address or a button in the client. A quick report should include the sender, subject and any suspicious links. Give fast feedback so staff learn from mistakes and see reporting leads to action and compliance. Ready to help your team start spotting phishing threats with ease? Get in contact with our team and we’ll help get you started.

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