According to the 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report, 68% of cybersecurity breaches are due to human factors, such as when someone falls for a phishing scam. Last week we looked at phishing and talked a bit about using phishing simulations in your compliance training. Today we're going to dig a little deeper into the topic and discuss what it takes to create a good phishing simulation.

First, a recap: Phishing is a type of cyberattack that hackers use to steal sensitive information from individuals and organizations. Sensitive information can be anything from social security numbers to credit card numbers to account passwords.

The most common forms of phishing include the following:

1. Email phishing: This is pretty much what it sounds like. You receive an email from an unknown sender pretending to be someone you know. Of course, this is a hacker trying to get sensitive information from you by getting you to click on malicious links or attachments.

2. Spear phishing: A malicious email sent to a specific person. Hackers use information they already know about the person in the phishing email. The information often includes the person's name, place of work, and even the names of trusted colleagues or family members. This poses a dangerous threat and often causes recipients to lower their defenses.

3. Whaling: Similar to spear phishing, whaling is a targeted attack on a member of the upper echelons of a company or organization. Since the leaders of organizations have their information easily accessible online, hackers can target their victims in a targeted manner, creating a personalized phishing attack.

One of the best ways to protect your sensitive data is through education and training. In fact, companies that don't invest in cybersecurity training have a 30% or higher chance of employees falling for phishing emails. Setting up a phishing awareness program can look many ways, but one of the most effective tactics is to incorporate phishing simulations into your regular cybersecurity training.

In the world of science and technology, training can quickly become outdated and stale.

Therefore, when implementing phishing simulations, it is important to consider the following:
* Realistic elements. Incorporates the latest trends and techniques used by cybercriminals, keeping simulations relevant and challenging for users. Examples can be anything from a fraudulent shipping confirmation message to random gift cards.

* User-friendly interfaces. An intuitive design of your interface makes sending those emails easy. Creating, deploying and monitoring each simulation is easy by investing in straightforward software. Why complicate the solution to an already complicated problem?

* Customizable scenarios. Don't limit yourself to just a pre-installed set of phishing scenarios. You have the ability to create and customize your simulated cyberattack however you want! You can increase the realism and impact of your emails by changing the variables based on the department or person within the organization you are testing.

* Seamless integration. Find software that integrates easily with your existing training. And also with any cybersecurity goals you enforce in your organization. Easy integration with your current training systems allows users to quickly move from simulations to training content.

* Data-driven performance measurement. Tracking metrics through analytics can help you improve your phishing awareness strategy. Paying attention to click rates, report rates, and response times can help you identify areas that need improvement. You can also compare data over time. This will help you regularly evaluate the effectiveness of your training.
Protecting your business from phishing attacks requires more than basic awareness – it’s about proactive and ongoing education.

By implementing realistic and customizable phishing simulations into your cybersecurity training, you can effectively prepare your team to detect and respond to potential threats.

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