Phishing emails are still the number one way attackers breach organizations. That’s why Google Workspace phishing detection is a top priority for IT and security teams.
While Gmail’s built-in protections are a solid start, they don’t give Google Admins the visibility or speed needed to stop threats at scale. To truly protect your domain, you need full email audit access, automated alerts, and fast response workflows.
This post covers best practices to increase Gmail security and enhance your Google Workspace phishing detection setup. Plus, we’ll show you how to gain domain-wide control with the right tools.
1. Enable Google’s Pre-Delivery Scanning
Gmail’s built-in phishing filters check messages before they’re delivered. As an admin, you can enable enhanced scanning to:
- ▪️ Delay suspicious messages for deeper inspection
- ▪️ Flag potential threats before inbox delivery
- ▪️ Quarantine risky messages automatically
To access Gmail safety settings within Google Workspace, navigate to Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > Safety within the Google Admin console.
2. Use Gmail Whitelisting and Blacklisting
Filtering who can send to your domain helps reduce noise and stop common phishing sources.
- ▪️ Whitelisting: Allow specific domains or IPs
- ▪️ Blacklisting: Block known threats or spam sources
- ▪️ Greylisting: Temporarily delay new senders to verify legitimacy
Learn More: How and Why to Whitelist a Domain in Gmail?
3. Turn On Attachment Protection
Phishing emails often hide malicious files. Google’s Attachment Protection helps you block:
- ▪️ Encrypted or unscannable attachments
- ▪️ Files with embedded scripts
- ▪️ Anomalous file types
To enable, go to Gmail Safety settings and configure the rules under the “Attachments” section.
4. Set Up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Authentication
Protect your domain from spoofing with these authentication layers:
- ▪️ SPF defines which servers can send mail on your behalf
- ▪️ DKIM signs messages to prove they came from your domain
- ▪️ DMARC helps monitor spoofing attempts and enforce delivery rules
Combined, these stop phishing emails from impersonating your domain and improve email deliverability.
5. Enable 2-Step Verification
Even if credentials are stolen, 2-step verification adds another layer of defense. Google Admins should:
- ▪️Enforce 2FA for all users, especially executives and finance teams
- ▪️ Use security keys or app-based tokens (not SMS)
Set enforcement under Admin console > Security > 2-Step Verification.
6. Monitor Gmail with a Google Workspace Phishing Detection Tool
Native tools are essential, but what happens after a phishing email slips through?
With a Gmail audit and phishing monitoring solution like GAT Labs, you can:
- ▪️Generate audit logs for investigations or compliance (GDPR, ISO 27001, etc.)
- ▪️ Search across all inboxes using keywords, senders, attachment types, or regex
- ▪️ Set up real-time alerts for risky forwarding rules, delegation changes, or abnormal volumes
- ▪️ Use GAT Unlock (with pre-approval) to bulk delete phishing emails from every affected mailbox
7. Phishing Response with GAT Labs
Speed matters. When an attack hits, delays mean more exposure.
▪️ You can set up alert-based workflows with GAT Flow to automatically suspend compromised accounts, notify Security Officers, or trigger other follow-up actions.
▪️ For phishing emails that need to be deleted across multiple accounts, use GAT Unlock within GAT+. Security Officers can pre-approve certain admins to perform email deletions. This means when a phishing incident occurs, emails can be removed immediately, without waiting for real-time approval.
▪️ Access logs and approval flows are always recorded for compliance.
Closing Thoughts: Google Workspace Phishing Detection
Google Workspace phishing detection requires more than pre-set filters. Admins need:
- ▪️ Visibility into every inbox
- ▪️ Tools to search and act at scale
- ▪️ Automation to reduce response time
By combining built-in Gmail controls with tools like GAT+, GAT Flow, and GAT Unlock, you get complete Gmail audit visibility and proactive email security for Google Admins.
For more guidance or to see it live, schedule a demo.
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