Cybersecurity Exercise #2

Exercise · Phishing Email Triage (Explain in English)

Awareness · English

Read the email. Identify red flags. Then explain the risk and recommended actions in clear English. Deliver a 60–90 second spoken response using: Summary → Red flags → Risk → Next steps.

Safe training email: This message is fictional. Links/domains are non-clickable placeholders. The goal is analysis + English explanation, not “hacking.”

Difficulty

Tip: Don’t just say “it looks fake.” Name the evidence.

From:

To:

Subject:

Easy

Your answer: list 5 red flags (bullets)

Spoken Response Builder 60–90 seconds

Include modals: should / might / could / must / may

Draft your spoken response

🎯 Instructions (Oral) task flow

Read the email once. Don’t stop on the first red flag.
Write 5 red flags using evidence (sender, tone, request, link style, urgency, errors).
Explain risk: what the attacker wants and what could happen.
Give next steps: what the user should do and what IT should do.
Deliver a 60–90 second spoken response using Summary → Red flags → Risk → Next steps.

📖 Vocabulary definitions

phishing — tricking users into revealing data or taking unsafe actions.
social engineering — manipulating people rather than hacking systems.
impersonation — pretending to be a trusted person/company.
urgency — pressure created by deadlines or threats.
credential harvesting — stealing usernames/passwords via fake login pages.
malicious attachment — a file that can execute harmful actions.
spoofed sender — a forged “From” address.
verification — confirming legitimacy via a trusted channel.

🧩 Collocations natural pairings

flag a suspicious email / report a phishing attempt
click a link / open an attachment
verify the sender / confirm the request
reset a password / enable MFA
compromise an account / expose sensitive data

🗣️ Idioms & Useful Phrases spoken English

red flag — “The sender domain is a red flag.”
doesn’t add up — “The request doesn’t add up.”
too good to be true — “The offer is too good to be true.”
when in doubt — “When in doubt, verify through a trusted channel.”
on the safe side — “To be on the safe side, report it to IT.”

🎤 Model Answer (spoken style) example

Example spoken response:

“Summary: This email appears to be a phishing attempt designed to pressure the user into clicking a link and entering credentials.

Red flags: First, the sender domain doesn’t match the real company. Second, the tone is urgent and threatens account suspension. Third, it asks for immediate action and includes a ‘verify’ link. Fourth, the message contains small wording mistakes and generic greetings. Fifth, the request is unusual for normal IT processes.

Risk: If the user clicks the link, they might land on a fake login page. The attacker could steal credentials and potentially take over the account.

Next steps: The user should not click anything, should report the email to IT, and should verify the request through a trusted channel. If they already clicked, they must reset the password and enable MFA immediately.”