What are Phishing Simulations? Are They Actually Important?

Cyber threats are a growing concern for businesses of all sizes. These threats can come in many forms, including phishing attacks, malware, ransomware, social engineering attacks, and more.

Phishing simulations can help businesses to reduce the risk of successful phishing attacks by training employees on how to identify and avoid them. Phishing simulations work by sending mock phishing emails to employees to see if they will click on links or open attachments. If an employee clicks on a link or opens an attachment, they will be redirected to a training page that teaches them about phishing and how to identify it.

Phishing simulations can further be customized to meet the specific needs of any business. For example, businesses can choose to focus on phishing emails that are specific to their industry or that are designed to target their employees.

A Look at Phishing in 2023

Phishing attacks are one of the most common types of cyber attacks individuals face today. According to a 2023 study by Verizon, 74% of data breaches involved a human element, and 50% of all social engineering attacks are pretexting incidents—nearly double last year’s total. Phishing attacks are successful because they exploit human psychology. Phishing emails are often designed to look like they are from a legitimate source, such as a bank or credit card company. This can trick users into clicking on links or opening attachments that contain malware or that lead to fake websites where they can enter their personal information.

Phishing and social engineering attacks have been on the rise in recent years. The increase in phishing and social engineering attacks is a serious threat to businesses of all sizes. These attacks can result in data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage.

This increase is due to a number of factors, including:

• The increasing sophistication of phishing attacks: Phishing emails are becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to distinguish from legitimate emails. Phishing attackers are using a variety of techniques to make their emails more believable, such as using spoofed email addresses, impersonating legitimate organizations, and including personalized information in their emails.
• The growing reliance on technology: Businesses and individuals are increasingly reliant on technology, such as email, social media, and cloud computing. This reliance on technology creates more opportunities for phishing attackers to exploit vulnerabilities.
• The lack of awareness and training: Many employees are not aware of the dangers of phishing and social engineering attacks. This lack of awareness makes them more vulnerable to these attacks.

How Can Phishing Simulations Help?

Phishing simulations can help businesses to reduce the risk of successful phishing attacks by training employees on how to identify and avoid them. Phishing simulations work by sending mock phishing emails to employees to see if they will click on links or open attachments. If an employee clicks on a link or opens an attachment, they will be redirected to a training page that teaches them about phishing and how to identify it. When employees are regularly exposed to mock phishing emails like this, they are more likely to be able to spot real phishing emails when they receive them.

Phishing simulations can also be used to test the effectiveness of security awareness training programs. By tracking the number of employees who click on links or open attachments in phishing simulations, businesses can identify areas where their training programs need to be improved.

Here are some examples of how phishing simulations can be used to help businesses:

• A bank could use phishing simulations to train its employees on how to identify and avoid phishing emails that are designed to steal customer information.
• A healthcare provider could use phishing simulations to train its employees on how to identify and avoid phishing emails that are designed to steal patient data.
• A government agency could use phishing simulations to train its employees on how to identify and avoid phishing emails that are designed to steal government secrets.

Overall, phishing simulations are an effective and cost-effective way to protect businesses from phishing attacks.

Here are some of the ethical considerations related to phishing simulations:

• Transparency: Employees should be informed that they may receive phishing simulations as part of the company’s security awareness program. This helps to build trust and avoid resentment.
• Realism: Phishing simulations should be realistic but not overly deceptive. Employees should be able to distinguish between phishing simulations and legitimate emails, but they should also be challenged to identify the red flags. This goes hand-in-hand with training materials available to employees. Would it be fair to test employees on a type of phishing email if they have had no chance to learn how to identify it?
• Impact: Phishing simulations should not have a negative impact on employees’ morale or productivity. They should be designed to educate and empower employees, not to scare them. Many platforms provide comprehensive reports and suggestions on improving awareness for individual employees. Making sure this information is not used to negatively affect them and their job is impotant.
• Effectiveness: Phishing simulations should be evaluated to ensure that they are effective in training employees. If simulations are not effective, they may be doing more harm than good. Keeping simulated emails on a semi-regular schedule that is not too overbearing is preferred. We’ve helped businesses set up campaigns that sent 1 email every week, with certain parts of the year having increased activity (for example, we suggest sending more out near the beginning of the year, or after a long holiday).

On the one hand, phishing simulations can be a valuable tool for training employees on how to identify and avoid phishing attacks. On the other hand, phishing simulations can also be deceptive and stressful for employees, and they may not always be effective. Knowing how to best implement these simulations is incredibly important. Getting employee buy-in by explaining the importance of phishing simulations to employees and why they are necessary is a great way to get started. Once sending these emails out, listening to feedback on how to make the simulations more effective and less stressful is another step in the right direction.

Other Tools to Consider

Comprehensive security awareness training outside of phishing simulations can help businesses to educate employees on a wide range of cybersecurity topics. Consider the specific cybersecurity threats that your business faces and the level of awareness and knowledge of your employees. This will help you to develop training that is relevant and effective. Cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving, so it is important to regularly update your security awareness training. This will help to ensure that your employees are aware of the latest threats and know how to protect themselves from them.

Topics of interest can include:

• Phishing and social engineering attacks
• Malware attacks
• Ransomware attacks
• Password security
• Data security
• Internet safety
• Physical security

This type of training can help employees to understand the different types of cybersecurity threats that they face and how to protect themselves from them. Training for these subjects can often be found through online learning modules, instructor led training, or security awareness campaigns managed by a business communications department or 3rd party. If you are interested in providing your business with affordable and comprehensive cybersecurity awareness trainings, contact us and we can help you get set up.