---
title: "Anti-phishing: what is it? The best tools and tests to protect you and your business"
canonical: "https://blissagency.it/en/cybercrime-en/anti-phishing-tools-tests/"
url: "https://blissagency.it/en/cybercrime-en/anti-phishing-tools-tests/md/"
site: "Bliss"
published: "2026-10-14T16:21:34+02:00"
modified: "2026-10-14T16:21:34+02:00"
language: "en-US"
description: "The best anti-phishing tools: email filters, browsers, Android apps, free solutions and phishing tests. How to choose the right software."
section: "Cybercrime"
---

# Anti-phishing: what is it? The best tools and tests to protect you and your business

The most effective anti-phishing tools fall into five categories: email filters, browser and device protections, phishing-resistant authentication, email domain controls and tests that measure how well people can recognise an attack. Many are already included free of charge in Gmail, Microsoft 365, Chrome, Edge and Android. A company, however, must add centralised management, regular simulations and control over its own domain, because no single tool blocks every attack.

## What an anti-phishing tool does (and what it cannot do)

A phishing attack succeeds only when several conditions align: a credible sender, a plausible pretext, an action by the victim and technical controls that are absent or can be bypassed. We explain them in detail in our guide on [how phishing works](https://blissagency.it/en/cybercrime-en/phishing-significato-traduzione-e-definizione/). An anti-phishing tool, or antiphishing when written as one word, serves to break one of these links: it stops the message from arriving, blocks the fake page, renders the stolen password useless or trains the person to stop before clicking.

None of these tools covers everything. The Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report 2026, based on more than 22,000 confirmed breaches across 145 countries, finds a human element in 62% of cases and identifies phishing as the initial access vector in 16% of breaches. That is far below the “90% of attacks” quoted on so many commercial pages, but enough to make phishing one of the main points of entry. In Italy, the Clusit Report 2026 attributes 12.4% of serious incidents in 2025 to phishing and social engineering, up 66% on the previous year.

The practical consequence is simply this: protection is built by layering several tools, each covering its own link in the chain.

## The best anti-phishing tools, category by category

Cinque categorie di strumenti, più i test

| Categoria | Cosa blocca | Esempi | Per chi |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Filtro della posta | Email fraudolente, link e allegati malevoli | Filtri di Gmail, Exchange Online Protection, Microsoft Defender for Office 365, piattaforme dedicate di sicurezza email | Tutti; versioni avanzate per le aziende |
| Protezione del browser | Siti clone e pagine di login false | Navigazione sicura di Chrome, SmartScreen di Edge, avviso siti fraudolenti di Safari | Tutti |
| Suite di sicurezza per i dispositivi | Siti, file e app malevoli su computer e smartphone | Norton, Kaspersky, Bitdefender, Avast | Privati e professionisti |
| Autenticazione resistente al phishing | Uso delle credenziali rubate | Passkey, chiavi di sicurezza FIDO2, password manager | Tutti; indispensabile per i ruoli critici |
| Autenticazione del dominio | Email false inviate a nome dell’azienda | SPF, DKIM, DMARC e strumenti di analisi dei report | Aziende e professionisti con dominio proprio |
| Test e simulazioni | L’errore umano | Google Phishing Quiz, piattaforme di simulazione aziendale | Tutti; campagne strutturate per le aziende |

Nessuna categoria copre tutto: la protezione si costruisce sovrapponendo più strumenti, ognuno sul proprio anello.

Anti-phishing for email: built-in filters and advanced solutions

Email remains the most heavily defended channel. Gmail and Microsoft 365 already apply a server-side anti-phishing filter. In the Microsoft ecosystem the basic protection is called Exchange Online Protection, while rechecking links at the moment of the click and opening attachments in an isolated environment are part of Microsoft Defender for Office 365, included in some business plans or available separately.

Dedicated email security platforms connect to the mailbox via API or as a gateway and add two capabilities above all. The first is behavioural analysis, which recognises an anomalous message even when it contains no links. The second is anti-impersonation, decisive against targeted **spear phishing** attacks and bank transfer fraud. Anyone using PEC for invoices and legal communications should check that their provider also scans links: in 2025 CERT-AgID recorded a sharp rise in abuse of this channel.

### Browsers, security suites and anti-phishing antivirus

The old anti-phishing toolbars installed in the browser have been superseded by built-in protection: Chrome, Edge and Safari block addresses flagged as fraudulent without the need for extensions. In fact, an unknown extension that promises to protect against phishing often requests very broad browsing permissions, which is an additional risk.

A security suite makes sense when you need protection that goes beyond the browser: file and app scanning, link checking in other applications, and coverage of several devices under a single subscription. When choosing, it pays to look at independent tests: AV-Comparatives, for example, publishes an annual anti-phishing certification test of the leading products.

### Passkeys, password managers and company domain

These tools act after the click. Passkeys and FIDO2 keys are bound to the genuine domain and do not work on a cloned site. A password manager will not fill in credentials on a domain other than the one saved, and that failure to autofill is already a warning sign. For a company, the equivalent step is to move its domain’s DMARC policy towards quarantine or reject: the configuration carries no licence costs, and the reports can be read with free DMARC analysis tools.

## Free anti-phishing

Before buying software, it is worth checking what is already active. Free or bundled protections cover more than you might think:

- the anti-phishing filters of Gmail, Outlook.com and the main email providers;

- baseline protection in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace;

- Safe Browsing in Chrome, SmartScreen in Edge and fraudulent website warnings in Safari;

- Google Play Protect and spam protection in Google Messages on Android;

- passkeys, supported free of charge by Google, Apple and Microsoft;

- DMARC reports, readable with free tools;

- Google Phishing Quiz, to practise spotting fake emails.

For a private individual or a professional working alone, these tools, properly configured, are often sufficient, especially alongside a password manager. They fall short when there are several people to protect: settings remain in the hands of individuals, there is no centralised visibility and nobody measures how many employees click or report. For a company, free tools are the foundation, not the solution.

## Anti-phishing on Android (and on iPhone)

The smartphone is the most exposed device. The Verizon DBIR 2026 finds that 41% of social engineering breaches exploited channels other than email, and on a phone it is harder to check a link before opening it. **SMS and phone scams** are now among the most effective.

On Android, basic anti-phishing protection can be enabled in a few minutes:

1. check that Google Play Protect is enabled (Play Store > profile > Play Protect), so that harmful apps are blocked even if installed outside the store;

1. enable Safe Browsing in Chrome, preferably in Enhanced protection mode;

1. enable spam protection in the Google Messages app;

1. keep the operating system, Chrome and Google Play services up to date;

1. install apps only from the Play Store and check the permissions they request.

On iPhone the equivalent is Safari’s Fraudulent Website Warning, in the browser settings, together with the unknown senders filter in Messages. A dedicated anti-phishing app adds link checking in SMS and messaging apps, useful for those who receive many messages from unknown numbers.

In a company, individual settings are not enough. A mobile device management (MDM) system applies the same rules to all work phones, separates company data from personal data on employees’ devices and allows the work account to be wiped remotely from a lost or compromised phone.

## Phishing test: how to check whether you are really prepared

“Phishing test” refers to two different things.

The individual test measures your ability to recognise a fake email. The best known is the Google Phishing Quiz, developed by Jigsaw: eight emails based on real cases, to be classified as legitimate or fraudulent, with an explanation of the clues after each answer. It is free and takes a few minutes. For further practice, it helps to study **real examples of phishing emails**, analysed one by one.

A corporate phishing simulation is a controlled campaign in which employees receive emails, text messages or phone calls designed to look like real attacks. According to the Verizon DBIR 2026, the median click rate in email simulations is 1.4%, compared with around 2% for phone-based ones: this is why campaigns should also include channels other than email. The most useful metric, however, is not the click but the report: how many people alert IT, and how quickly. A company where few people click but no one reports remains vulnerable.

In Italy, a simulation involves employee data and may fall under the remote monitoring rules set out in the Workers’ Statute. It should therefore be designed with the DPO and HR: a transparent privacy notice, a training purpose, and aggregated results that are never used for disciplinary purposes. For organisations subject to the NIS2 Directive, security training is also a legal obligation.

## How to choose the best anti-phishing software

The best anti-phishing software is the one that covers the links left exposed, not the one with the most features.

For individuals and professionals, what matters is coverage of every device in use, browser and email protection, link checking in smartphone messages, results in independent tests and a clear renewal price, since many suites apply the discount to the first year only.

For a company, these are the questions to put to a supplier:

Le otto domande da porre a un fornitore

Integrazione

Funziona con Microsoft 365 o Google Workspace via API, o richiede di modificare il flusso della posta?

Canali coperti

Protegge solo l’email, o anche chat aziendali, browser e dispositivi mobili?

Analisi al clic

Ricontrolla i link al momento del clic e isola gli allegati sospetti?

Anti-impersonificazione

Riconosce i messaggi che imitano dirigenti e fornitori anche quando non contengono link?

Segnalazione

Offre un pulsante di segnalazione e rimuove automaticamente i messaggi simili dalle altre caselle?

Misurazione

Produce report comprensibili per il management, con l’andamento di clic e segnalazioni?

Dati e conformità

Dove vengono trattati i dati, e come supporta gli obblighi di GDPR e NIS2?

Sovrapposizioni

Quali funzioni duplica rispetto alle licenze già attive?

Il miglior software anti-phishing è quello che copre gli anelli rimasti scoperti, non quello con più funzioni.

A word of caution about the expression “phishing software”: online, it also refers to the kits criminals use to clone websites. The only legitimate products are defensive software and simulation platforms used with the organisation’s authorisation.

## Where to start: the first five steps for a company

Da dove iniziare: le prime cinque mosse per un’azienda

1
**Mettere in ordine il dominio.** Controllare SPF, DKIM e DMARC e portare la policy DMARC verso la quarantena o il rifiuto.

2
**Accendere ciò che si ha già.** Attivare tutte le protezioni incluse in Microsoft 365 o Google Workspace, nei browser e sugli smartphone, gestendole centralmente.

3
**Proteggere prima i ruoli critici.** Introdurre passkey o chiavi FIDO2 per amministratori, finanza e direzione.

4
**Rendere facile segnalare.** Creare un canale di segnalazione semplice e condividere con tutti [come segnalare il phishing](URL CLUSTER SEGNALARE PHISHING) e [cosa fare subito se si clicca su un link](URL CLUSTER PHISHING COSA FARE DOPO).

5
**Misurare, poi comprare.** Partire da una prima simulazione e scegliere quale software aggiungere in base ai risultati.