Don't Make These Mistakes When Running a Phishing Simulation

While most IT teams run phishing simulations, not all do so effectively. Many make common mistakes during the planning, implementation, and follow-up stages. Although they may not realize it, they’re putting their organization at risk of experiencing cyberattacks.

The Impact of Phishing on Organizations

Compared to other cyberattack types, phishing is relatively simplistic. However, it causes millions of dollars in damage annually. Even though IT teams are well aware of typical techniques and distribution methods, attackers still manage to get past their defenses.

Unfortunately, recent technological advancements like artificial intelligence have made these scams more common. Phishing attacks hit a record high of more than 4.7 million incidents in 2022, a 150% increase year-over-year since 2019. If this trend continues, it could become the most common cyberattack.

Every year, phishing causes millions of dollars in losses. In 2021, each incident cost around $1,500 per worker on average. As attacks grow more frequent, the threat they pose increases. Organizations must address the issue by running simulations to improve their security and protect their finances.

The Importance of Running Phishing Simulations

A phishing simulation imitates attacks to audit employee awareness. Its goal is to assess their susceptibility to real-world threats to improve their employer’s security. This strategy is crucial because it reveals potential vulnerabilities with minimal organizational risk.

Phishing simulations are essential because a single employee clicking one malicious link can cause millions of dollars in losses. According to one study, workers click on 14% of simulated emails on average, proving organizations can't rely on training alone.

Notably, phishing simulations are an effective way to improve an organization’s security. In one study, employee threat reporting rates rose 65% after only six sessions. Additionally, their fail rates fell from 14% to a mere 4% overall.

The Negative Impact of Phishing Simulation Mistakes

Generally, phishing simulations successfully raise employee awareness and improve organizational security. However, IT teams can drastically reduce their effectiveness if they make only a few mistakes.

Improper implementation can make employees feel anxious and frustrated. Additionally, it can demotivate them, reducing the effectiveness of future proactive efforts. If they lose trust in their workplace or the IT team, they’ll be less receptive to corrective action.

Since employees are a workplace's foundation, simulation mistakes also negatively impact organizations. Crucially, the lack of receptiveness during training or feedback sessions makes them unprepared — drastically increasing the risk of successful cyberattacks.

Common Phishing Simulation Mistakes to Avoid

IT teams running phishing simulations are often unaware they’re making common mistakes.

1. Making Simulations Too Challenging

Although phishing simulations shouldn’t be easily identifiable, making them too complex isn’t advantageous, either. After all, an IT team’s goal is to see how employees respond rather than trick them. While difficulty can increase over time, the first session should be relatively easy.

2. Not Varying Distribution Methods

IT teams often use email as the primary distribution method, even though attackers frequently vary their approaches. According to a 2022 global survey of IT specialists, around 75% of organizations experienced smishing — SMS phishing — attacks. Preparing for one attack type alone leaves employees vulnerable to others.

3. Conducting Simulations Simultaneously

While conducting every simulation simultaneously can make result analysis more manageable, it doesn’t reflect an organization’s realistic response to phishing attacks. Once one employee is aware, they’ll tell their colleagues — and word will quickly spread, skewing pass and fail rates.

4. Not Targeting Higher-Ups

Many IT teams mistakenly test low-level employees exclusively. In reality, higher-ups are prime targets. According to a 2021 global survey, nearly 80% of businesses experienced spear phishing attacks, with 37% reporting up to 50 incidents.

5. Publicly Shaming Those Who Fail

Some IT professionals believe public negative feedback will effectively shame those who fail simulations, making them more resilient to threats. Although this approach sounds good on paper, it often has the opposite effect — employees often feel demotivated instead of dedicated.

6. Not Providing Immediate Feedback

Many teams spend too long analyzing results before following up. This mistake is significant because research shows immediate feedback is the only effective approach to addressing failings. If IT professionals wait too long, they risk making their simulation ineffective.

7. Using Money as an Incentive

Promising bonuses will get employees to click on a simulated link but reduce their motivation and trust. If they believe they’re getting a reward only to be greeted with an email about phishing training, they’ll be much less receptive to corrective action.

Tips for Running an Effective Phishing Simulation

IT teams can drastically improve their organization’s security and raise employees’ awareness by making phishing simulations more effective. In addition to avoiding common mistakes, they must address awareness gaps and make ongoing improvements.

Planning the Simulation

Attackers target various industries differently, so IT teams should tailor their simulations to match their sector. They should consider incident frequency, typical targets, and distribution methods. Once they establish a baseline of how phishing impacts their organization, they can craft realistic simulated links and messages.

Another consideration for the planning stage is legitimacy — while some phishing attacks are nearly impossible to identify, others are immediately obvious. Part of creating compelling, realistic simulations is leveraging various degrees of authenticity.

IT professionals should consider pre-simulation training before running their phishing simulation. They can identify gaps in standard education methods if they preemptively raise awareness. This way, they know how to improve their follow-up efforts.

Running the Simulation

IT teams should consider splitting their simulation into two parts. Separately monitoring who clicks on the links and enters information into the simulated phishing website provides insight, improving follow-up training.

Another helpful tip involves using urgency or emotion to incentivize clicking instead of the promise of bonuses and monetary rewards. These methods are just as effective and don’t risk damaging workplace trust or lowering training receptiveness.

Following Up

Many IT teams focus heavily on employees who fail, overlooking those who pass. Instead, they should consider retraining everyone using separate courses. On top of strengthening awareness, it helps people view education as beneficial rather than a punishment.

However, corrective action should follow patterns instead of being broad. Rather than exclusively looking at immediate results, IT professionals should track pass and fail rates over time to uncover trends. This way, they can address failings more effectively.

Successful Phishing Simulations Are Carefully Planned

Although phishing is relatively simplistic, IT teams must consider many things when planning a simulation. Fortunately, they stand to gain a lot if they strategize accordingly. Effectively testing employees and following up on their failures is a straightforward way to improve security.