Google rolls out new security protocol to prevent phishing attacks via Gmail

As a part of its efforts at minimising spam and eliminating phishing emails, Gmail is rolling out avatars for brands that send newsletters or marketing communication directly to users’ inboxes. Google announced that it will trial the new security feature with the brand’s logo in the placeholder so that users can know the email is genuine.

This update will use the Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) standard, and will be tested with a handful of brands in the coming weeks. Google joined the BIMI working group in 2019. The company said that authentication with BIMI will act like a verified badge, but for email.