Phishing is a threat as old as the internet itself, and it seems incredible that we are still talking about it in 2023. Unfortunately, phishing attacks remain as popular as ever with Cyber criminals, especially with the rise of remote working in recent years. ZScalers' recent phishing intelligence reports a 47.2% increase in phishing attacks from 2022 due to cyber criminals using more advanced methods to trick users and launch large-scale attacks.
As attacks increase in sophistication, it is clear that technical controls alone will not suffice. Companies must proactively increase user awareness regarding phishing and other social engineering attacks. This is where phishing simulations can show their value and help companies assess where they stand when being vulnerable to a phishing attack.
How Phishing has evolved
A key reason why phishing attacks remain successful is how they keep evolving. Cyber criminals are smart enough to know most users can detect standard email attacks and have changed tactics. They have moved to direct messaging via social media, text messages, phone calls, and even deepfake scams, where AI is used to create fake videos of legitimate people! The rise of deepfake scams to gain access to sensitive information was severe enough for the FBI to issue an advisory warning to the general public about such attacks.
Simple security awareness sessions are not enough to inform users of such attacks, which is where phishing simulations come in.
The value of Phishing simulations
Phishing simulations, as the names imply, mimic phishing attacks and can be used against a company’s employees to assess their awareness of such attacks. These drills can take various forums such as standard emails, phone calls, text messages, etc., so that users do not get used to one technique and are constantly vigilant. Cyber security teams can generate detailed dashboards and metrics showing no. of people phished vs. those who reported such attacks. This can be an excellent way to determine the effectiveness of a company’s security training.
In addition to the direct advantage of heightened awareness, the other benefits of phishing simulation are:
Identify weak spots: Phishing drills can help cyber security teams pinpoint potential weak points in their defenses and take proactive steps to fix them. For example, phishing drills might identify that email filters are not working correctly or that users cannot easily report such emails to cyber security teams.
Data-driven awareness: Phishing simulations can help you identify which users or a subset of users are the most susceptible to potential attacks and have the highest risk of being “phished.” This can help focus security efforts on those users instead of conducting general security awareness training for the entire organization.
For a phishing simulation to be effective, make sure to follow the below tips:
Customize phishing attacks for your company using suitable branding and messaging so that such phishing drills are not too generic. This will heighten the level of awareness from employees so they do not simply accept emails because they look familiar.
Monitor the phishing drill throughout so that you are aware of metrics like message received, clickthrough rate, links clicked, etc., so you can use this data to refine future drills further.
Constantly update your phishing drills with the new types of attacks as they become available. Not using the latest techniques will mean your drills are no longer relevant, and employees will be at risk of falling victim to newer attacks.
Phishing drills are a vital part of any cyber security awareness strategy. Companies should implement these drills, technical controls, and security awareness to form a holistic strategy for fighting cyber criminals and staying protected.
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