Phishing simulation is an effective training tool that can help your organization enhance knowledge retention and reduce the likelihood of cyberattacks. They’re also an excellent opportunity to raise awareness.
Though it can be challenging, it is possible to prevent staff from clicking on malicious links and entering credentials. It may take up to four or five phishing simulations before your employees achieve a low phishing rate of less than 5% for clicking links and sharing account details.
Phishing is a cyberattack
Phishing is a social engineering tactic designed to obtain login credentials and other personal information through email, phone calls or even in person.
Phishing has been around for more than two decades and is a widely used cyberattack. It typically targets data privacy, with the potential to cause significant harm to both individuals and businesses alike.
Phishing attempts to trick users into clicking on a link that takes them to an untrue website, where they can reveal their username and password. Doing so gives cybercriminals access to both their account, as well as potentially other accounts they hold.
Some phish are designed to deliver malicious payloads. This could include crypto-mining malware, worms or ransomware.
Spear phishing is an advanced form of email scam that targets high-level employees, often C-level executives. To successfully execute this maneuver, the attacker must meticulously research and customize their email to entice the recipient to click on a malicious link.
Phishing simulations are a form of training
Phishing simulations are a form of training designed to assess employees’ capacity for recognizing fake phishing emails. They serve as an efficient method for measuring teams’ capacity to detect phishing threats and report them promptly.
Phishing simulations replicate real-world phishing emails so employees can become educated on the dangers of social engineering and other cyber attacks. They are an integral part of a security awareness program, helping reduce risk, build threat resilience, and cultivate a secure organizational culture.
Employees must be able to spot and report phishing attacks in order to safeguard the company. The simulation provides them with the training needed for this task, as well as opportunities to practice spotting phishing scams.
It’s essential to remember that different employees have varying levels of cybersecurity awareness, so you should target different groups with your efforts. For instance, senior executives may be more susceptible to phishing attacks than employees in the accounts payable department.
Phishing simulations are a great way to raise awareness
Phishing simulations are an excellent way to increase employee awareness about potential threats. These simulated cyber attacks replicate real-world scams and can be used as a teaching tool, teaching your staff how to spot potential hazards without jeopardizing your company’s data or security infrastructure.
Phishing simulations are also an invaluable way to assess the success of your cybersecurity training program. By assessing results from phishing simulations, you’ll gain insight into areas where staff require additional instruction.
When it comes to conducting phishing simulations, the frequency should be tailored according to your security awareness needs. We suggest running them at least 6 times annually with an interval of 40-60 days; this will guarantee users remain trained while keeping cybersecurity a top priority throughout the year.
However, running a phishing simulation without explaining its purpose can lead to confusion and distrust within your business. Therefore, make sure there is an unmistakable message from senior management as to why these campaigns are taking place and how they operate.
Phishing simulations are a great way to test your security
Phishing simulations can be used to test the security of your employees by sending them phishing emails that simulate real-world attacks. This will give you insight into who may be vulnerable to certain types of attacks and help identify any gaps in your security program or user behavior that could be exploited by malicious actors.
Cybercriminals often send phishing emails that appear legitimate from legitimate companies or individuals in order to coerce users into providing sensitive information such as passwords, credit card details and other personal data.
A successful phishing simulation should mimic the methods actual criminals employ, such as tricking users into clicking on links or entering their information into fake web forms. Furthermore, it could send users fake ‘infected attachments’ that can spread malware onto their devices.
