The Current Reality: Chaos in Reporting
Does the following sound familiar?
- Teams message: “Hey, I just got an email that looks weird. Can you take a look?”
- Email forward: “See below — is this real?”
- Text message: “Just sent you a strange email, check it out.”
- Phone call: “Hi, I got this weird email… can you tell me if it’s legit?”
- Even a knock on the door: “Look at this email — is this phishing?”
As an IT admin, you're constantly being pulled in every direction, trying to trace down potential phishing attempts through a patchwork of communication channels. Every method is different, inconsistent, and inefficient — all while the real risk is still unfolding.
And the most dangerous scenario?
When users don’t report it at all.
The Problem: Reporting is a Mess
You’re not just fielding reports — you’re piecing together email trails, hunting down the original message, trying to determine if it’s a true phishing attempt, who else received it, and whether the organization is at risk.
Meanwhile, there's no easy way to spot patterns or trends, no time to update threat policies, and no scalable way to respond to broader attacks.
The Solution: Use the Tools You Already Have
Microsoft Outlook and Google Mail both include built-in phishing report buttons. These aren’t just convenience features — they’re powerful tools that integrate directly with your security stack.
(report button in outlook)
(Report button in Gmail)
Here's why using them should be self-evident:
✅ Centralized Reporting: Emails go to the right people instantly — no more hunting.
✅ Faster Triage: Get the metadata and original message you need to investigate properly in the environment where you can actually take action.
✅ Better Visibility: See who else received the same phishing attempt.
✅ Improved Response Time: Act on threats before they spread.
✅ Training Insights: Identify which users report, and who needs more awareness.
✅ Threat Intelligence: Spot trends and update security policies proactively.
Getting Started is Easy:
- Decide who should receive phishing reports and set up the routing accordingly.
- Educate your users — share internal guides, run quick lunch sessions, post reminders, and use phishing simulations.
- Track adoption — monitor who’s using the button, and follow up with teams that need a refresher.
Bottom line: If you're still relying on ad-hoc reporting for phishing, you're wasting valuable time, increasing organizational risk, and missing the chance to use built-in, effective, and scalable tools already at your fingertips.
Make the switch. Centralize reporting. Strengthen your defenses.
