how to perform phishing test for employees?

According to a recent study, phishing attacks account for 91% of all cyber attacks and are becoming more sophisticated and targeted.

Phishing tests are an important tool for organizations to protect against cyber attacks by identifying vulnerabilities, measuring the effectiveness of training and education programs, and tailoring security measures to protect against specific types of phishing attempts.

A phishing test is a simulated phishing attack that is conducted in a controlled environment, intending to assess the susceptibility of an organization’s employees to phishing attempts.

The test typically involves sending out a simulated phishing email or message to employees and tracking their responses.

The organization can then use the test results to identify areas where employees may be more susceptible to phishing attempts and provide training or education to help them improve their ability to identify and avoid phishing scams.

Why is running a Phishing test important?

Phishing is a common and effective method that cybercriminals use to gain access to sensitive information and disrupt operations. Running phishing tests in current times is important for several reasons:

1. Identifying vulnerabilities: Running phishing tests allows organizations to identify vulnerabilities in their employees’ ability to identify and respond to phishing attempts and take steps to address those vulnerabilities.
2. Improving security measures: By identifying the types of phishing attempts that are more likely to be successful, organizations can tailor their security measures to better protect against those attacks.
3. Compliance: Many industries have regulations that require organizations to implement security measures to protect against cyber attacks. Running phishing tests helps organizations comply with these regulations.
4. Remote work: With the rise of remote work, organizations are more vulnerable to phishing attacks as employees’ home networks may not have the same level of security as their work networks. Phishing tests can help organizations identify vulnerabilities caused by remote work.
5. Cost-effective: Phishing tests can be a cost-effective way to identify vulnerabilities and improve security measures instead of dealing with the consequences of a real attack.
6. Constant evolution: Phishing techniques are constantly evolving, and regular phishing tests help organizations to stay up-to-date with the latest tactics and adapt their security measures accordingly.

Overall, running phishing tests is crucial to an organization’s security strategy. It allows organizations to identify vulnerabilities, improve security measures, and stay compliant with regulations, especially when remote work and cyber attacks are prevalent.

What to do before a phishing test?

Before conducting a phishing test, an organization needs to take the following steps:

1. Develop a plan: Create a plan that outlines the objectives of the test, the types of simulated phishing attacks that will be used, and the methods that will be used to track employee responses.
2. Obtain necessary approvals: Obtain the necessary approvals from management and legal teams to ensure that the phishing test is compliant with all laws and regulations.
3. Communicate with employees: Communicate with employees to inform them that a phishing test will be conducted and to explain the test’s purpose. This will help to ensure that employees understand the test and are less likely to be confused or suspicious when they receive simulated phishing messages.
4. Provide training: Provide training to employees on how to identify and respond to phishing attempts. This will help to ensure that employees are better prepared to identify and respond to the simulated phishing messages they will receive during the test.
5. Set up tracking and monitoring: Set up tracking and monitoring methods to record employee responses to simulated phishing messages. This will allow the organization to evaluate the effectiveness of the test and identify areas where employees may be more susceptible to phishing attempts.
6. Prepare incident response plan: Have an incident response plan in place to manage the potential consequences of employees falling for simulated phishing messages, such as the loss of sensitive information.

By taking these steps, organizations can ensure that their phishing tests are conducted in a controlled and effective manner and use the test results to improve their security measures and protect against cyber attacks.

What to do after a phishing test?

After conducting a phishing test, an organization needs to take the following steps:

1. Evaluate the results: Review the phishing test results to identify areas where employees may be more susceptible to phishing attempts.
2. Provide feedback: Provide feedback to employees on their responses to the simulated phishing messages. This will help to improve their ability to identify and respond to phishing attempts in the future.
3. Provide training and education: Provide training and education to employees on identifying and responding to phishing attempts, focusing on the specific types of phishing attempts that were identified as being successful during the test.
4. Update security measures: Improve security measures to better protect against the types of phishing attempts identified as being successful during the test.
5. Repeat the test: Regularly repeat the test to assess the effectiveness of the training and education provided and the security measures put in place and adjust them as necessary.
6. Communicate the results: Communicate the test results to management and other relevant stakeholders, including the security team and IT department.

By taking these steps, organizations can use the results of the phishing test to improve their security measures, protect against cyber attacks, and educate their employees to better protect against phishing attempts.

What are the key metrics of a phishing test to focus?

There are five key metrics that organizations should focus on when conducting a phishing test:

1. Open rate: The percentage of employees who opened the simulated phishing email or message. A high open rate indicates that the phishing attempt was well-crafted and that employees may be more susceptible to similar attempts in the future.
2. Click-through rate: The percentage of employees who clicked on a link or attachment in the simulated phishing email or message. A high click-through rate indicates that employees may be more susceptible to phishing attempts that include links or attachments.
3. Report rate: The percentage of employees who reported the simulated phishing email or message as suspicious. A low report rate indicates that employees may not know how to identify and report phishing attempts.
4. Fall-for rate: The percentage of employees who fell for the simulated phishing attack, for example, by providing sensitive information or transferring money. Fall-for rate is the most important metric as it indicates the level of employee susceptibility to actual phishing attacks.
5. Time to report: The time it takes for an employee to report a simulated phishing email or message after receiving it. This metric helps identify how quickly employees can identify and report phishing attempts.

What are the important features of a phishing simulator?

A phishing simulator is a tool that organizations can use to simulate phishing attacks and assess the susceptibility of their employees to phishing attempts. Some important features of a phishing simulator include the following:

1. Customizable phishing templates: The ability to customize and create email templates that mimic real-world phishing attempts.
2. Targeted phishing campaigns: The ability to target specific groups of employees or individual employees with tailored phishing campaigns.
3. Tracking and reporting: The ability to track employee responses to simulated phishing attempts and generate detailed reports on key metrics such as open rate, click-through rate, report rate and fall-for rate.
4. Advanced reporting: The ability to generate advanced reports that show how employees responded to different types of simulated phishing attempts, such as spear phishing, whaling and vishing
5. Landing page and form simulation: The ability to create simulated landing pages and forms can be used in phishing attempts that ask employees to enter personal information.
6. Real-time alerts: The ability to send real-time alerts to security teams when an employee falls for a simulated phishing attempt.
7. Training and education: The ability to provide training and education to employees on how to identify and respond to phishing attempts, based on the results of the simulated phishing test.
8. Integration with existing systems: The ability to integrate with security systems such as SIEM and incident management systems.

What is the importance of running phishing tests in current times?

Phishing is a common and effective method that cybercriminals use to gain access to sensitive information and disrupt operations. Running phishing tests in current times is important for several reasons:

1. Identifying vulnerabilities: Running phishing tests allows organizations to identify vulnerabilities in their employees’ ability to identify and respond to phishing attempts and take steps to address those vulnerabilities.
2. Improving security measures: By identifying the types of phishing attempts more likely to be successful, organizations can tailor their security measures to better protect against those attacks.
3. Compliance: Many industries have regulations that require organizations to implement security measures to protect against cyber attacks. Running phishing tests helps organizations comply with these regulations.
4. Remote work: With the rise of remote work, organizations are more vulnerable to phishing attacks as employees’ home networks may not have the same level of security as their work networks. Phishing tests can help organizations to identify vulnerabilities caused by remote work.
5. Cost-effective: Phishing tests can be a cost-effective way to identify vulnerabilities and improve security measures instead of dealing with the consequences of a real attack.
6. Constant evolution: Phishing techniques are constantly evolving, and regular phishing tests help organizations to stay up-to-date with the latest tactics and adapt their security measures accordingly.

Running phishing tests is a crucial part of an organization’s security strategy. It allows organizations to identify vulnerabilities, improve security measures, and stay compliant with regulations, especially when remote work and cyber attacks are prevalent.

Conclusion

Phishing attacks can also be used to disrupt operations by gaining access to a company’s network and deploying malware or ransomware. This can lead to data breaches, loss of sensitive information, and significant downtime, which can cause serious financial damage to an organization.