How to Train Your Team to Spot Phishing Emails

Every spam filter, every anti-virus program, every firewall — all of it can be bypassed if one person in your business clicks the wrong link. That is not a criticism of your team. It is a reflection of how sophisticated modern phishing attacks have become.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) consistently identifies human error as a contributing factor in the majority of successful cyber attacks on Australian businesses. But here is the thing: human error is trainable. A well-informed team member who knows what to look for is one of your most effective security controls.

The challenge is that most security training is boring, infrequent, and easy to forget. This guide walks you through a practical approach that actually sticks — even for small businesses without a dedicated IT team.

Why One-Off Training Does Not Work

The traditional approach to security awareness training is a once-a-year online module, often mandated by an insurer, that employees click through as fast as possible and promptly forget. Research consistently shows that the protective effect of a single training session fades significantly within weeks.

Phishing attacks, meanwhile, evolve constantly. A team member trained to spot 2023-era phishing emails may not recognise a 2025 attack that uses AI-generated text and a compromised legitimate domain.

Effective security awareness is not a one-time event — it is an ongoing habit.

Start with the Fundamentals: What Your Team Must Know

Before running any training program, make sure every person in your business understands these core concepts:

What phishing looks like

Walk your team through real examples of phishing emails — ideally ones relevant to your industry and the tools you use. Show them how a fake Microsoft login page compares to the real thing. Explain that phishing emails often impersonate the ATO, Australia Post, the big four banks, and major software providers.

The red flags to look for

• Mismatched sender addresses (the display name looks right but the actual email address is wrong)
• Urgent or threatening language ("Your account will be closed," "Immediate action required")
• Unexpected links — always hover over a link to see the actual URL before clicking
• Unexpected attachments, especially Office documents asking to "Enable Macros" or compressed files
• Requests for login credentials, payment details, or gift card purchases via email
• Poor spelling or grammar — though AI is making this an increasingly unreliable indicator

What to do if something seems off

Make sure your team knows exactly who to contact if they receive a suspicious email. Create a simple escalation path: report to a manager or IT contact, do not forward the email to colleagues, and do not click anything while deciding.

What to do if they have already clicked

This is critical — and often overlooked. If a team member has clicked a suspicious link or entered their credentials on a fake site, they need to know to report it immediately, without fear of blame. Delayed reporting dramatically worsens the outcome of a phishing incident.

Make Training Ongoing: Practical Methods for Small Teams

Phishing simulations

Simulated phishing campaigns — where you send safe, fake phishing emails to your own team — are one of the most effective training methods available. When a team member clicks the simulated phishing link, they are taken to an instant educational page that explains what they should have noticed and how to do better next time.

Tools designed for small businesses include KnowBe4 (which has plans suitable for smaller organisations), Proofpoint Security Awareness Training, and Cofense PhishMe. Microsoft 365 Business Premium also includes Attack Simulator, which lets you run basic phishing simulations directly within your existing Microsoft environment.

The goal of simulations is not to catch people out and embarrass them — it is to create a memorable learning moment in a consequence-free environment. Make sure your team knows simulations happen so they remain vigilant, but keep the specific timing confidential so the exercise is realistic.

Regular "just-in-time" updates

When a new phishing campaign is targeting Australian businesses — and the ACSC regularly puts out alerts about these — share the information with your team promptly. A brief message in your team chat (Slack, Teams, etc.) saying "We have seen an increase in fake ATO emails this week — here is what they look like" is highly effective because it is timely and relevant.

Monthly security conversations

You do not need a formal training session. Even five minutes in a regular team meeting to discuss a recent phishing example, answer questions, or share a relevant news story keeps security top of mind. Rotate responsibility for leading this so it does not fall entirely on one person.

Posters and visual reminders

Simple visual aids in the break room, near shared computers, or on your intranet can reinforce key messages. The ACSC provides free resources at cyber.gov.au, including posters and quick reference guides designed for Australian workplaces.

Creating a Psychologically Safe Reporting Culture

Your training will only be effective if your team feels safe reporting suspicious emails — and feels safe admitting when they have clicked something they should not have.

If the culture is one of blame and embarrassment, staff will delay or avoid reporting incidents. That delay can be the difference between a minor security alert and a full-scale data breach.

Make it explicit and regular: "If you click something you should not have, the most important thing is to tell us immediately. No questions asked, no blame." Reinforce this message from the top. If a business owner or senior manager has ever nearly been caught by a phishing email themselves (and statistically, most have), sharing that story can be powerful.

Tailor Training to Roles

Not everyone in your business faces the same risks. Consider tailoring training to specific roles:

• Finance and accounts staff need specific training on Business Email Compromise (BEC), invoice fraud, and payment redirection scams
• Receptionists and customer-facing staff are often targeted with voice phishing (vishing) and pretexting calls
• Managers and executives are targeted by whaling attacks — sophisticated impersonations designed to extract authorisation for large payments or sensitive data
• IT administrators (even if that is an outsourced provider) face highly targeted spear phishing designed to compromise privileged accounts

Measuring Whether Your Training Is Working

Track a few simple metrics over time:

• Phishing simulation click rate — is it trending down over time?
• Number of suspicious emails reported by staff — a higher number often indicates a more vigilant team, not more attacks
• Time to report incidents — are staff reporting quickly when something goes wrong?

Key Takeaways

• One-off security training is not enough — effective security awareness is ongoing and regularly refreshed
• Teach your team the specific red flags of phishing emails, including mismatched sender addresses, urgency, and unexpected links
• Phishing simulations are one of the most effective training methods — tools like KnowBe4 and Microsoft Attack Simulator make this accessible for small businesses
• Create a no-blame reporting culture — delayed reporting dramatically worsens incident outcomes
• Tailor training to roles, particularly for staff who handle payments or have administrative access
• Share timely alerts about active phishing campaigns targeting Australian businesses

Understanding your team's security awareness gaps is part of a broader cyber risk picture. Flagged is a free cyber risk assessment for Australian small businesses — visit flagged.com.au to see how your business measures up across all the key areas of cyber security.