SonicWALL: Users can't consistently identify phishing messages

According to experts at SonicWALL Inc., more than 800,000 computer users took its Phishing IQ Test. Of this group, only 5 percent were able to correctly answer every question. Typically, most people missed at least three out of 10 questions wrong.

Phishing continues to confound consumer advocates and security professionals. With more than 6.1 billion phishing emails hitting inboxes each month, these email scans continue because they work. According to Gleb Budman, senior director of product management at SonicWALL, the recent test findings highlight the effectiveness of current phishing techniques.

"Some phish are particularly ingenious, like the one that invited users to pay a dollar to enter a $100,000 lottery," commented Gleb Budman, senior director of product management at SonicWALL. "They wanted you to use your credit card to play, and had created a false web site that could have fooled anyone - it was very well constructed."

SonicWALL has posted created a new Phishing IQ Test to continue to help users avoid being swindled. The test pits users against the latest phishing techniques and gives hints on what to look for when users choose wrong answers.