Google keeps most threats out. PhishGuard shows who is still at risk.
If your organization runs on Google Workspace, you already have strong built-in security. PhishGuard does not replace those controls — it measures the human layer so you can coach the right people and prove awareness is working.
Executive summary
In one minute
- Google Workspace already blocks the vast majority of spam, phishing, and malware, and gives you strong identity controls (2SV, security keys) plus investigation tools on higher editions.
- Those controls do not measure who would still click a realistic lure, whether awareness is improving by department, or who needs coaching next.
- PhishGuard is the human-risk layer: controlled phishing simulations on your Google Workspace, click and report metrics by OU/department, high-risk user views, and leadership-ready exports — without harvesting passwords.
- Recommendation: keep Google’s defenses fully enabled; add PhishGuard to prove awareness is working and to focus training where risk is highest.
Prevention
Google Workspace
Human risk metrics
PhishGuard
How to start
Free demo → paid pilot
What you already have
Google Workspace security you can rely on
Google invests heavily so most junk never reaches your people. Exact features depend on your edition (Business vs Enterprise / Education), but the foundation is the same.
Identity & sign-in
2-Step Verification, security keys, passkeys, SSO, and Advanced Protection for high-risk accounts help stop account takeover.
Gmail threat filtering
AI blocks the vast majority of spam, phishing, and malware. Admin Safety settings cover attachments, links, spoofing, and optional sandboxing.
Domain authentication
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC make it harder for outsiders to impersonate your domain — when you configure them correctly.
Detect & respond
Alert Center and (on higher editions) Security Center and the Investigation Tool help you find and remove real threats after delivery.
Google reports that its AI defenses block the vast majority of spam, phishing, and malware before they reach users. That is a strong baseline — and it is still not 100%.
The gap
What native Workspace does not tell you
“We already have Google security” is true for filters and identity. It is not the same as knowing whether your awareness program is reducing risk.
Who would still click?
Filters stop bulk attacks. They do not tell you which departments or people would fall for a realistic lure that reaches the inbox.
Is awareness improving?
Native tools show security events. They are not built as a continuous phishing simulation program with trends leadership can track.
Who needs coaching?
You need a clear high-risk cohort — not a one-off inbox clean-up — to focus limited training time.
Safe practice campaigns
You need dry-runs, controlled targeting by OU, and ethical simulations that never harvest passwords — as a product workflow, not a one-time exercise.
Better together
How Google Workspace and PhishGuard fit
Google Workspace
- Blocks most commodity phishing and malware automatically
- Enforces strong identity (2SV, keys, VIP Advanced Protection)
- Investigates and purges real malicious mail (eligible editions)
- Protects Drive, sharing, and (on higher tiers) DLP policies
PhishGuard
- Runs controlled phishing simulations for your people
- Measures click, open, and report rates by department and OU
- Flags high-risk users for coaching — not public shame
- Gives leadership exports and trends you can defend
Built for your stack
Designed around how you already run Workspace
Your OUs as targeting
Include the teams you want to test. Exclude service accounts and break-glass aliases.
Gmail-native reality
Simulations are built for the mail system your people use every day — not a Microsoft-first afterthought.
Metrics leadership wants
Click rate, report rate, and high-risk cohorts by department — exportable for boards and execs.
A simple Workspace hardening checklist (yours to keep)
Use this with your admin team. PhishGuard sits on top of a healthy baseline — it does not replace it.
- 1Enforce 2-Step Verification; use security keys for super admins
- 2Turn on Gmail Safety protections (prefer quarantine for domain spoofing)
- 3Publish correct SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for your domains
- 4Restrict third-party OAuth app access
- 5Enable enhanced pre-delivery scanning / sandbox if your plan includes them
- 6Enroll executives and admins in Advanced Protection where appropriate
- 7Review Alert Center weekly; use Investigation Tool for real incidents
- 8Add phishing simulations so you measure human risk over time
Questions we hear from Workspace teams
- Do I still need PhishGuard if Google blocks 99.9% of phishing?
- Yes — if you care about the remainder and about social engineering that looks legitimate. Filters reduce volume; simulations measure whether your people are ready for what gets through.
- Will PhishGuard conflict with Gmail Safety settings?
- We design for real Gmail environments. During onboarding we work with your admins so campaigns deliver reliably without weakening your production security posture.
- Does this replace the Security Investigation Tool?
- No. Use Google’s tools for real incidents. Use PhishGuard for planned simulations, trend metrics, and coaching cohorts.
Keep Google’s defenses. Add visibility into human risk.
Explore PhishGuard with sample data, or talk to us about a pilot on your Google Workspace tenant.
Related: Security awareness on Google Workspace · Product overview