NIST Releases Phish Scale User Guide for Detecting Sinister Phishing Emails

• The NIST has released the Phish Scale User Guide, providing a global standard for assessing the difficulty of detecting email phishing.
• This guide supports phishing awareness training with detailed instructions, cue descriptions, and methods for interpreting results.
• It includes interactive worksheets and extensive research, aiding in evaluating phishing risks across different organizations.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Human-Centered Cybersecurity program has released the NIST Phish Scale User Guide. This guide provides comprehensive instructions for applying the Phish Scale, a global method organizations use to assess the difficulty of detecting human phishing in emails. It’s beneficial for implementers of phishing awareness training programs, helping them contextualize the results of simulated phishing exercises. The guide includes background information, detailed cue descriptions, interpretation of results, and an interactive worksheet for applying the Phish Scale to phishing emails.

Phishing poses a significant cyber threat to both private and public sectors worldwide, and simulated phishing email programs are vital in preparing employees to recognize and respond to these threats. The NIST Phish Scale is a tool developed for cybersecurity and phishing awareness training implementers to evaluate the difficulty of detecting phishing attempts in emails. The User Guide for the Phish Scale provides a comprehensive overview of the method, offering step-by-step instructions on how to apply it in training scenarios. Additionally, the guide includes worksheets for practical application and detailed information on email properties and related research, aiding practitioners in effectively assessing their organization’s security risk.

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