What is Phishing Simulation and Should You Run One?

Jan 2, 2024

In 2022, the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) reported an all-time high for phishing, with more than 4.7 million active phishing sites on the Internet. Even more concerning was the number of businesses impacted, with Proofpoint noting that 84% of organizations experienced at least one successful phishing attack in 2022.

Phishing emails are the number one way hackers gain access to your systems and wreak havoc on your IT infrastructure. With the consistent rise of attacks, preparing your team to quickly recognize and respond to these threats is critical. To help prepare you and your employees for the worst-case scenario, Blade outlines the importance of phishing simulations and how you can run them effectively.

What is a Phishing Attack?

Phishing occurs when a hacker or cybercriminal poses as a trustworthy source and contacts targets through emails, text messages, or phone calls. Every phishing attack aims to breach your business’ network to access sensitive information, personal data, or company funds. The simplicity and effectiveness of phishing attacks make them a favorite among cybercriminals, underscoring the urgent need for robust defenses against them.

While there are four primary types of phishing attacks, the most common tactic used by malicious actors is email phishing, in which the cybercriminal requests money or personal information through email. More sophisticated attackers will take additional steps to earn your trust, like making a fake email that appears to be your co-worker or creating fake websites that mimic your company’s real site.

Understanding Phishing Simulations

Phishing simulations are controlled cyber exercises designed to mimic real-world phishing attacks. These simulations are crafted to resemble various forms of phishing techniques, such as deceptive emails or fraudulent websites, without malicious intent. During a phishing simulation, your employees will receive a fake phishing email that uses the same tactics attackers use to gain the recipient’s trust and manipulate them into taking a desired action.

A phishing simulation's primary goal is to test employees' awareness and response to potential phishing threats, making them a proactive measure in cybersecurity training. There are a few distinct advantages to running phishing simulations:

1. Enhancing Awareness: Simulations educate employees about the subtleties of phishing attacks, helping them recognize telltale signs of fraud before being tricked into sharing sensitive personal or company information and funds.
2. Testing Response Mechanisms: Running a phishing simulation allows you to evaluate how employees react to phishing attempts, providing a realistic assessment of their preparedness.
3. Continuous Improvement: By identifying weaknesses in your current cybersecurity awareness program, you can tailor your training to address and effectively mitigate these gaps.

Phishing Simulations vs. Real Phishing Attacks

While both may appear similar, the intentions and outcomes of phishing simulations vary significantly from those of an actual phishing attack. Genuine phishing attempts strive to deceive and exploit your team, while simulations are safe, controlled, and conducted with the intent to educate and improve your security. Post-simulation, your employees receive immediate feedback and training, turning the experience into a learning opportunity. Real attacks, however, have much more detrimental outcomes, such as financial and informational loss and reputational damage.

The Benefits of Phishing Simulations

Phishing simulations serve as an eye-opener, enhancing employee awareness about the sophistication of phishing attacks and training them to identify and report potential threats. This proactive approach helps pinpoint areas where the workforce may lack awareness and plays a crucial role in evaluating and bolstering the existing cybersecurity measures. Regularly conducting these simulations ensures that your team can stay ahead of cyber threats and quickly react if one occurs, fostering a culture of vigilance and continuous improvement.

How to Run a Successful Phishing Simulation

Running a successful phishing simulation is a complex task that requires careful planning, execution, and follow-up. While you can run these simulations independently, having an expert cybersecurity partner like Blade Technologies can significantly streamline and enhance the process. We can provide expertise in designing realistic scenarios, ensure legal and ethical compliance, and offer detailed analysis and insights post-simulation.

To run an effective phishing simulation, follow these steps:

1. Planning: Begin by defining clear objectives for the simulation. Determine what you want to achieve, whether that’s testing awareness levels, response times, or identifying specific vulnerabilities. Your goals should be realistic and measurable, as they are the backbone of your phishing simulation.
2. Designing: With your goals in mind, create a phishing scenario that is relevant and challenging for your team members to identify. This could involve crafting emails or creating fake websites, much like a real hacker would. Ensure your scenario is believable but can be identified as phishing upon closer inspection to educate your team without causing alarm.
3. Selection: While you can target the entire organization, you may decide to target specific departments that are more susceptible to phishing attacks. Regardless of who you target in the simulation, ensure that it is unbiased and inclusive to cover all the bases.
4. Execution: Now that your fake phishing attack has been built, you can carefully launch the simulation. Timing is critical; for instance, sending a phishing email during a busy work period might yield different results than at a quieter time when employees have the capacity to read emails more closely.
5. Monitoring: After sending your emails, observe how your employees interact with the phishing attempt. Collect data on who opened emails, clicked on links, or shared information. This data is essential for understanding the effectiveness of current cybersecurity training.
6. Providing Feedback: Once the simulation is complete, provide immediate feedback to your participants, educating them on how to recognize such threats in the future. This step is vital in turning a potentially negative experience into a positive learning opportunity.
7. Analysis: With the information gained from the simulation, analyze the results in-depth to identify patterns, assess the effectiveness of the simulation, and determine areas for improvement. You can adjust future simulations and training programs accordingly to enhance their success rate.

Partner with a Professional Cybersecurity Firm for Phishing Simulations

Working with a professional cybersecurity firm can ensure your phishing simulations are effective learning opportunities for your team. With their expertise, companies like Blade Technologies can design sophisticated and realistic phishing simulations that are tailored to your organization’s specific needs or vulnerabilities. Additionally, Blade has access to advanced tools to analyze the results of your simulation, offering in-depth insights into employee responses, vulnerabilities, and areas needing improvement.

Beyond simulations, Blade Technologies provides comprehensive training and awareness programs to educate your employees about cybersecurity threats and response protocols and foster a culture of vigilance and proactive defense. We also assist you with ongoing support and consultation, continuously updating and improving your cybersecurity strategies to keep pace with evolving threats.

Prepare for Phishing Attacks with Blade Technologies

Phishing attacks pose a significant threat to businesses of all sizes, making the need for effective training and preparedness strategies more critical than ever. Phishing simulations offer a practice approach to test and enhance your cyber defenses.

The dedicated team at Blade Technologies, your premier St. Louis IT and cybersecurity firm, are experts in protecting your business from the unexpected. When working with you to train and prepare your employees, we tailor our solutions to your unique needs, building your cybersecurity awareness while securing your network.

Partnering with Blade Technologies means investing in peace of mind. Our constant network monitoring, advanced cybersecurity tools, and dedicated support team provide the robust defense your business needs to ward off potential cyber attacks. Don’t wait for a hacker to reveal the vulnerabilities in your network; contact our cybersecurity experts and protect your critical data today.