Phishing threats have matured from simple scams into complex schemes targeting corporate networks with deceptive, urgency-laden emails and precise spear phishing. In 2022, 71% of organizations faced potential or actual business email compromise (BEC) attacks, with the APWG noting a surge in unique phishing email subject lines.
Phishing reached a new quarterly high in late 2022 (Source)
Modern attackers leverage on-demand phishing services and AI to craft convincing messages, leading to sophisticated BEC and adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) attacks that bypass security measures like multi-factor authentication.
Organizations are now adopting phishing attack simulations to proactively identify weak spots, train employees, and reinforce security. This article makes sure you don’t get left behind, delving into executing these simulations effectively and showcasing how the IRONSCALES platform not only facilitates simulations but also integrates security awareness to keep organizations ahead of threats.
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
|
Defining the scope |
Establishing the parameters, objectives, and success metrics of the simulation to ensure aligned outcomes. |
| Template preparation | Designing realistic phishing templates based on real-world data to emulate authentic phishing threats. |
| Target selection | Identifying and grouping the employees to be tested to ensure a comprehensive assessment of phishing awareness. |
| Campaign setup | Finalizing the phishing simulation setup by selecting appropriate email templates based on participants' awareness levels, choosing a landing page, and integrating a relevant training module. |
| Campaign test | Testing out the campaign with a small group to assess the functionality and delivery of the phishing messages. |
| Campaign execution | Utilizing the Ironscales one-click campaign feature to launch the phishing simulation seamlessly and monitor it in real-time for immediate insights. |
| Training integration | Incorporating security awareness training modules for immediate feedback and reinforcement upon detecting phishing test failures. |
| Analysis and reporting | Evaluating the simulation results to identify areas of improvement, plan targeted training campaigns, and derive actionable insights for enhancing organizational phishing resilience. |
Phishing simulation is a critical exercise that sends fake phishing attacks to your team in a controlled setting to test their alertness to hacker tactics. This proactive measure prepares them to spot and stop actual threats and meets various regulatory requirements, like those of GDPR and HIPAA, that mandate regular security awareness testing. These simulations transform your staff into an informed frontline defense system.
In the coming sections, we’ll detail how to integrate phishing simulations into your security strategy, enhancing your organization’s defensive capabilities with each drill.
The integration process is refreshingly straightforward and accomplished in about 3-clicks: Minimal configuration is required, and there’s no need for a complete system overhaul. Compared to other solutions, Ironscales does not require updating inbound policies or adding exceptions because it integrates with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace via API to ensure a smooth adoption for phishing simulation.
To help ensure that your phishing simulation delivers actionable insights, let’s dissect the pivotal steps in defining its scope.
Start with a clear statement of what you want to achieve. Here’s a table showing what objectives might look like.
| Objective | Description of related activity | Expected Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Awareness assessment | Determine the percentage of employees who can identify phishing emails | Reduced susceptibility to phishing attacks |
| Response evaluation | Measure the percentage of employees that report or escalate a suspected phishing attack | Quicker threat identification and mitigation |
| Protocol effectiveness | Test the efficiency of new security measures against phishing attempts | Validation and improvement of security defenses |
Once objectives are set, select the right metrics to measure success. Key metrics could include the following:
These metrics must align with your objectives, such as using CTR and reporting rate for gauging awareness.
Define clear, measurable outcomes linked to objectives, so you can gauge success. For example:
Crafting realistic phishing templates is crucial for effective simulation, and IRONSCALES provides the tools to mirror actual threats. Here’s a streamlined guide.
Customize your phishing templates within Ironscales:
This approach equips your team to recognize and counter real threats.
The Create Template dialog box
IRONSCALES also allows template creation from real or historical incidents:
The platform’s mix of simplicity and customization prepares your team to tackle actual phishing attempts effectively.
Creating an incident template
When orchestrating a phishing simulation campaign, one of the initial steps is the meticulous selection of targets. Here, we delve into the segmentation strategy and the frequency and variety settings for the tests.
Segmentation is crucial in creating targeted simulations that yield actionable insights. The following steps outline strategic options for segmenting your workforce:
| Department | Rationale for targeting |
|---|---|
| Finance | Financial data |
| Human Resources | Sensitive employee data management |
| IT | Access to administrative privileges |
| Operations | May not be as vigilant as IT-focused teams. |
| Customer Service | Frequent engagement with external emails |
The frequency and variety of tests are also pivotal. Here’s a guideline to help set an effective schedule:
| Employee segment | Suggested frequency |
|---|---|
| High-risk groups | Monthly |
| Medium-risk groups | Quarterly |
| Low-risk groups | Biannually |
| Type of Phishing Test | Delivery Method | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| General Phishing | Email/SMS (Smishing) | Awareness for all Employees |
| Spear Phishing | Email/SMS (Smishing) | Targeting high-risk roles |
This feature streamlines the deployment of phishing simulations, enabling security teams to quickly set up and execute campaigns. Here’s how to utilize this efficient tool.
Quick Launch is designed for ease, flexibility, and targeted simulations, allowing for frequent and varied phishing tests with just a few clicks.
Organizations that want finer control over their phishing simulation campaigns can configure them by clicking Simulation & Training > My Campaigns > Simulation. Fill in the information required in this screen with the results from the “Setting the stage” section above.
The Ironscales platform provides phishing email templates across various difficulty levels—beginner, intermediate, and advanced—to match employee awareness. Beginners start with basic, common phishing scenarios; intermediates progress to more complex social engineering techniques; and advanced users tackle targeted spear-phishing and BEC simulations. Select templates that align with your organization’s security posture to ensure an appropriate level of challenge.
Selecting the right landing page for a phishing simulation is key. It not only gives instant feedback to users about clicking on a mock phishing link but also educates them on the warning signs they overlooked. Additionally, it can present further learning materials. Tailoring this page to the simulation’s context amplifies its educational impact.
IRONSCALES enhances phishing simulations by including training modules. These can operate immediately, taking users to a training module upon interacting with a simulation email, or as a follow-up, delivering educational content after the simulation for reinforcement. Access to IRONSCALES vast training library ensures that employees learn to identify phishing threats and apply best practices in response.
Before deploying a campaign across the organization, it’s prudent to conduct a pilot test with a controlled group. This serves several functions:
Once the campaign has been set up and tested, it can be executed with the target groups by clicking Launch. Ironscales enables real-time monitoring, allowing you to gather immediate insights and metrics on the My Campaigns page. This visibility is crucial for gauging the campaign’s impact and making necessary adjustments.
As phishing attacks become more complex, ongoing education is essential for a robust defense. IRONSCALES provides a wealth of training materials and structured training schedules to bolster your team’s preparedness against these evolving threats.
The IRONSCALES library is a rich, comprehensive repository tailored to diverse learning needs that extends across various publishers known for their compelling video content. With the library, training becomes an engaging experience, drawing from NINJIO’s anime-style cybersecurity episodes, Infosequre’s behavior-changing narratives, and Wizer’s extensive video collection on security awareness, compliance, and company culture.
Consistency is the key to building security competence. The IRONSCALES platform streamlines the creation of regular, targeted training that keeps teams alert. For a new security awareness training campaign, follow these steps:
Ironscales’ platform enables the crafting of phishing awareness training that’s engaging and retentive, turning routine exercises into a resonant learning journey.
IRONSCALES analytics platform offers a robust mechanism to dissect the results of phishing simulations, revealing critical insights into employee behavior and the effectiveness of prior training.
Begin evaluating your phishing campaign by accessing the campaign results via Simulation & Training > Campaigns, then clicking View. This section enables a detailed analysis across different organizational segments, providing insights into department-specific performances.
Focus on these crucial metrics:
The Attack Readiness Indicators report is crucial for assessing response effectiveness.
It includes the following:
These indicators are instrumental in measuring how prepared an organization is to handle a real phishing threat.
By analyzing the Campaign Summary and Simulation Assessment reports, organizations can pinpoint specific areas where employees are most vulnerable. For instance, if the Number of Clicked Participants figure is high, this suggests a need for more focused training on identifying suspicious links and email content.
The Campaign Participants report aids in customizing training by revealing patterns in individual behaviors, highlighting those needing further education. Utilizing the Last 5 Results to identify those needing additional training and the Resend Training feature ensures that employees receive the necessary follow-up training to stay current with security protocols.
IRONSCALES enables the exporting of campaign data for in-depth review and sharing. With the Export Campaign feature, you can download a zip file containing participant responses, summaries, and detailed reports for documentation or stakeholder review. Utilize the Share function to disseminate campaign analytics directly to relevant parties within the organization.
Additionally, the Campaign Participants report can be exported as a CSV file, providing essential data for in-depth analysis and presentations. This functionality is integral to refining cybersecurity training programs, ensuring that continuous improvement aligns with organizational security goals and equips employees to counter phishing threats effectively.
In the rapidly changing cyber-threat landscape, organizations must continuously refine their phishing defense strategies to stay ahead. This means not only responding to current threats but also anticipating and preparing for future ones. Ironscales’ Autonomous Campaigns for Complete Protect (Beta) facilitates this by providing monthly campaigns with minimal setup, based on the latest phishing tactics, so teams can focus on up-to-date defense training.
Autonomous campaigns ensure that your defenses remain robust by reflecting the latest threats. IRONSCALES Campaign of the Month automatically aligns with the newest phishing patterns, offering the latest insights with no configuration needed.
For implementation:
A vigilant team is crucial, and a security-conscious culture is fostered through regular updates, training, and discussions. Ironscales’ Autonomous Campaigns support this by providing a steady flow of simulations that keep your team alert and informed.
Phishing simulations and ongoing training are critical parts of the cyber defense arsenal. This article has highlighted the imperative of proactive strategies, leveraging Ironscales’ comprehensive suite for realistic simulations coupled with robust training and threat protection.
We encourage you to embrace this iterative approach to keep pace with the ever-evolving phishing threats and further explore how IRONSCALES can fortify your organization’s email security, ensuring that you’re not just preparing for today’s cyber challenges but also future-proofing against tomorrow’s threats. Your email security can be a stronghold with Ironscales at the helm.