Summary
The 'External' label in Google Workspace and other email platforms serves as a security measure to alert users about potential threats from senders outside their organization. Experts and documentation highlight that its primary purpose is to prevent phishing attacks and Business Email Compromise by prompting users to exercise caution and verify the sender's identity before interacting with the email. While effective in increasing security awareness and vigilance, some users find the banner visually intrusive. The consensus is that the 'External' label is a valuable tool when implemented with proper user education and as part of a comprehensive security strategy.
Key findings
- Phishing Prevention: The primary purpose of the 'External' label is to prevent phishing attacks and Business Email Compromise (BEC).
- Security Awareness: It enhances security awareness by prompting users to verify sender identity and scrutinize email content.
- Visual Cue: The label acts as a visual cue to distinguish external emails from internal communications.
- Increased Vigilance: It promotes increased vigilance and caution when handling emails from unknown sources.
- Potential Annoyance: Some users find the 'External' banner visually intrusive and space-consuming.
Key considerations
- User Education: Educate users about the purpose and implications of the 'External' label to ensure effective usage.
- Contextual Awareness: Remind users that the label is just one factor and that cautiousness is still warranted even with internal emails.
- Comprehensive Security: Integrate the 'External' label as part of a broader email security strategy including multi-factor authentication and employee training.
- Configuration and Customization: Understand configurable options and branding/visual aspects of external labels to optimise their integration for your organization.
What email marketers say
8 marketer opinions
The 'External' label in Google Workspace emails serves as a security measure designed to alert users to potential phishing and business email compromise attacks. Its primary purpose is to prompt caution when interacting with emails originating from outside the recipient's organization. The label provides a visual cue encouraging users to verify sender identity and scrutinize email content before clicking links, opening attachments, or responding.
Key opinions
- Phishing Prevention: The 'External' label helps prevent phishing attacks by visually distinguishing external emails.
- Increased Caution: Users are prompted to be more cautious and verify sender identity before interacting with external emails.
- Security Awareness: The label improves security awareness by training users to differentiate between internal and external communication.
- Social Engineering Countermeasure: It acts as a countermeasure against social engineering by prompting awareness and scrutiny.
Key considerations
- Verification: Always verify the sender's identity before interacting with emails marked 'External'.
- Content Scrutiny: Carefully scrutinize the content of external emails for suspicious links or requests.
- Cautious Interaction: Exercise caution before clicking links, opening attachments, or providing sensitive information in response to external emails.
- Training: Ensure users are properly trained to recognize and respond appropriately to external email warnings.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Barracuda explains that external email identification improves security awareness and promotes cautious behavior when dealing with potentially suspicious emails. It encourages users to verify the sender and content.
11 Jun 2024 - Barracuda
Marketer view
Email marketer from Security StackExchange suggests that the external label is primarily a security measure intended to make users think twice before acting on emails coming from outside their organization. It acts as a constant reminder of the risk of external threats.
5 Apr 2024 - Security StackExchange
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
The 'External' label in Google Workspace is a visual indicator designed to inform recipients that the email sender is outside their organization, primarily targeting Business Email Compromise (BEC) attempts. While aimed at enhancing security by alerting users to potential phishing attacks and promoting caution, some users find the banner visually intrusive and space-consuming.
Key opinions
- Visual Indicator: The 'External' label serves as a visual cue that the sender is outside the recipient's organization.
- BEC Prevention: It's implemented as a measure to prevent Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks.
- Enhanced Security: External email warnings help users be more cautious about potential phishing attempts.
- User Experience: Some users find the banner visually intrusive and space-consuming.
Key considerations
- Security vs. Usability: Balance the security benefits of the 'External' label with potential disruptions to user experience.
- User Awareness: Ensure users understand the purpose of the 'External' label and how to respond appropriately.
- Alternative Solutions: Consider exploring alternative or supplementary security measures to address BEC and phishing attacks.
- Banner Placement: Ensure the placement of the external email warning doesn't negatively impact user workflow.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise responds that implementing external email warnings helps alert users to potential phishing attacks from external senders, thereby prompting increased vigilance and caution when handling such emails.
24 May 2025 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares that Google tried a banner approach previously, but spammers copied the banner into the message body. The current labeling is harder for spammers to fake.
31 Mar 2025 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Documentation from Google Workspace, Proofpoint, Microsoft, Mimecast, and VadeSecure indicates that the primary purpose of the 'External' label in email systems like Gmail is to enhance security and combat phishing. By clearly marking emails originating from outside an organization, these labels help users differentiate between internal and external communications, prompting increased caution when handling potentially harmful messages and sensitive information. This practice aims to reduce the likelihood of phishing attacks, data breaches, and other email-borne threats by educating users about potential risks and promoting vigilance.
Key findings
- Enhanced Security: Labeling external emails enhances overall email security.
- Phishing Combat: Marking external emails is a method to actively combat phishing attempts.
- User Awareness: External labels help educate users about potential email-related risks.
- Risk Reduction: The use of external tags diminishes the potential for data breaches, phishing scams and associated financial or reputational damage.
- Discern Internal from External: Users are better able to distinguish between internal and external communications
Key considerations
- User Training: Provide adequate training to users on how to interpret and respond to external email labels.
- Consistent Implementation: Ensure consistent application of external labels across all email communications.
- Additional Security Measures: Combine external labels with other security measures for a comprehensive email security strategy.
- Customization: Customize the appearance of external labels to match organizational branding while remaining clearly visible.
Technical article
Documentation from Mimecast suggests that the ultimate objective of the external tag is to minimize email-based threats. By flagging messages from untrusted sources, this mechanism promotes the cautious handling of sensitive information and thereby diminishes the likelihood of successful phishing attempts, data breaches, and other email-borne attacks.
15 Oct 2024 - Mimecast
Technical article
Documentation from Proofpoint indicates that labeling external emails is a security best practice. It helps users distinguish between internal and external communications, reducing the likelihood of falling for phishing scams and other email-based attacks.
26 Nov 2021 - Proofpoint
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