What is Phishing Simulation? Benefits, Process & Best Practices

by Pawan Panwar

What is Phishing Simulation?

Organizations use phishing simulations to assess how well their staff members understand and react to phishing attempts. Staff members are sent simulated phishing emails to see who clicks on malicious links or divulges credentials.

This procedure aids in finding weaknesses and offers focused instruction to strengthen the security posture. Let’s take a look at “What is Phishing Simulation?”

How Does a Phishing Simulation Work?

Phishing Simulation works in the following ways:

1. Planning and Goal Setting: Specify the goals (e.g., lower click-through rate, more reporting), the target audience, and the kind of assault to mimic (e.g., urgent invoice, phony password reset).

2. Creation of Mock Attack: Phishing emails (or other messages like SMS/vishing calls) are made to look realistic and realistic, frequently imitating current risks in the real world or schemes that are specific to a certain industry.

3. Deployment: To replicate a real, unpredictable attack, the simulated attack is initiated and distributed to the targeted employees at different times.

4. Monitoring and Tracking: Key metrics are tracked by the simulation platform, including which employees clicked on a link, downloaded a phony attachment, opened an email, or entered login information on a phony landing page.

5. Immediate Training/ Feedback: When employees “fall for” the simulation, they are usually sent to a landing page or given instant feedback that explains that it was a test, what warning indicators they missed, and why the activity was dangerous.

6. Analysis and Reporting: The findings are examined to determine departmental weaknesses, general susceptibility, and individual training needs.

7. Follow-up Training: Vulnerable users receive targeted security awareness training, and the outcomes are used to improve the security education program as a whole.

8. Iteration: Regular simulations with varying scenarios and increasing difficulty are conducted to reinforce learning and keep staff members alert to changing dangers.

Common Types of Phishing Simulation Exercises

The following are some of the common types of phishing simulation exercises:

●     Credential Harvesting (Link Click): The most prevalent kind. A link in the email takes the recipient to a phony login page (for example, a bank, internal HR portal, or Microsoft 365) where their username and password are intended to be stolen.

●     Malware Delivery (Attachment Open): An attachment (such as a “final invoice,” “new policy document,” or “shipping notification”) that would include malware in a real attack is requested to be downloaded and opened by the user in the email.

●     Business Email Compromise (BEC) / CEO Fraud (Reply): In order to fool an employee into responding with private information or starting a fraudulent wire transfer, the email poses as a senior executive or vendor (such as the CEO or CFO) and instills a sense of urgency.

●     Spear Phishing: Highly focused simulations that make the email incredibly realistic and pertinent to that particular person or small group by using tailored details (such as the employee’s name, department, or current corporate happenings).

●     Smishing (SMS Phishing): Simulations that use text messages—typically disguised as an urgent bank alert, delivery notification, or two-factor authentication prompt—to trick staff members into clicking on a malicious link.

●     Vishing (Voice Phishing): Simulations that use live or automated phone calls to trick workers into giving private information or dialing a fictitious number, usually posing as a financial institution or IT help.

●     Consent Phishing: A technical simulation that deceives the user into clicking a button to “log in” or “connect,” thereby giving a malicious third-party program access to their cloud data (such as a Google or Microsoft account).

Best Practices for Effective Phishing Simulations

The following are the best practices for effective phishing simulations:

a)    Establish a Baseline First: Run a preliminary simulation without any prior notice to obtain a true, unbiased assessment of the vulnerability of present employees.

b)    Prioritize Education Over Punishment: Employees who click should never be humiliated or punished; instead, failures should be used as prompts, encouraging teaching moments (point-of-click training).

c)    Vary Scenarios and Attack Vectors: To prepare consumers for a variety of attacks, use a variety of email formats, payloads (link, attachment, data entry, reply), and sender spoofs (CEO, IT, HR, Vendor).

d)    Increase Difficulty Gradually: As employee knowledge increases, start with clear warning signs and gradually roll out more complex, focused tactics (spear phishing).

e)    Focus on the Reporting Rate: Not simply how many employees click on the questionable email, but also how many report it, is a good way to gauge performance. Promote and incentivize reporting.

f)     Provide Immediate, Constructive Feedback: As soon as an employee clicks, take them to a micro-training module or landing page that explains the warning signs they overlooked.

g)    Maintain Executive Buy-In and Transparency: Make sure the program has the backing of the leadership and that everyone on staff understands the why (to safeguard the business) and the how (frequent, non-punitive testing).

h)    Run Simulations Consistently and Randomly: To keep employees alert and avoid them expecting the test, conduct tests often (monthly or quarterly, for example) but at unusual times.

i)      Use Real-World, Relevant Templates: Create simulations based on actual attack intelligence, standard office operations (such as login pages and HR procedures), or current attacks aimed at your sector.

Tools for Phishing Simulation

The following are some tools for phishing simulation:

1. GoPhish: A well-liked, adaptable, open-source platform for planning and managing extensive phishing campaigns.

2. Social-Engineer Toolkit (SEToolkit): An open-source social engineering and penetration testing tool with features for making hostile websites and spear-phishing emails.

3. Microsoft 365 Attack Simulator: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a tool that lets businesses mimic different types of attacks, such as phishing campaigns, against their users.

4. Phishing Frenzy: An additional web-based open-source tool for developing, adjusting, and initiating phishing campaigns.

Platforms for Phishing Simulation

The following are some of the platforms for phishing simulation:

●     KnowBe4: The industry leader is renowned for its extensive content library, integrated security awareness training, and phishing simulations.

●     Proofpoint Security Awareness Training: Incorporates phishing simulation with a focus on quantifiable behavior change and more extensive email security.

●     Cofense (PhishMe): Focuses on phishing defense, providing employees with a popular “Cofense Reporter” button to report questionable emails and realistic simulations.

●     Mimecast: As a component of its cyber resilience and email security platform (Mimecast Awareness Training), it provides phishing simulations.

●     Barracuda Networks (PhishLine): Offers sophisticated training and simulation to increase staff members’ resistance to phishing scams over time.

●     Infosec IQ: Provides a platform for phishing simulations and security awareness training with the goal of lowering cybersecurity occurrences.

●     Sophos Phish Threat: Offers comprehensive training along with phishing templates that are pre-made and customized.

●     Terranova Security (Fortra): Renowned for its multicultural, international approach, localized material, and adaptable simulations.

●     Phished: An AI-driven tool that provides training and automated, adaptive phishing and smishing simulations.

●     IRONSCALES: Emphasizes AI and machine learning for email security, together with integrated training and phishing simulation.