Analysis of 1.3M Emails Unveils Hidden Threats Missed by Other Email Security Solutions
Analysis of 1.3M Emails Unveils Hidden Threats Missed by Other Email Security Solutions

How to Run Simulated Phishing Campaigns?

Hacking people is much easier than hacking servers. While hackers brag about their nifty code exploits, tricking users into clicking a bogus link or installing a malignant attachment is much easier than breaking through a security firewall. The unsuspecting users simply give the attacker the keys to enter through the front door. It is for this reason that social engineering is one of the top causes of cybersecurity incidents. It is estimated that 80 percent of security attacks occur as the result of phishing scams. Additionally, 94 percent of malware originates via email. It is basic math for cybercriminals. A single hacker can easily send emails to a thousand random people. Assuming a hacker collects an average of $40,000 of ransom for each successful hack, a modest 0.1% of success on those thousand random emails can yield a $40,000 profit. According to statistics, phishing is effective 25% of the time. That represents a whole lot of money for very little effort.

A Simulated Phishing Campaign

Creating a simulated phishing campaign within an organization is a powerful way to train workers about phishing scams and how to avoid them. TechRepublic published  a study in October 2020 in which simulated phishing campaigns were conducted in multiple companies in 98 countries. The study showed that 25% of workers in the US fell for phishing tricks. During the pandemic last year, that number rose dramatically due, at least in part, to the large number of people working from home. The rate of employees in 2020 who clicked on malicious links in the simulation campaign was twice the rate as in 2019. A staggering 67 percent of the people who clicked on the phishing emails entered their login credentials on the pages to which the emails led them. In 2019, by comparison, that number was just 2 percent. A simulated phishing campaign aims to educate people about the risks of phishing. Proper training can lower the risk of users giving up their login credentials or making payments because they believe they are receiving a request from a known individual. These latest stats indicate that the need for simulated phishing campaigns is higher than ever before.

How to Run a Simulated Phishing Campaign?

By simulating a phishing campaign, employers can help their employees gain a better understanding of what phishing is, how to detect malicious emails, and how to react if they receive one.

Plan the Training Strategy

It’s imperative that you plan all the steps involved in a phishing campaign before you begin. Conduct the simulation training with the entire current workforce and then with your new hires as they join the company. You should train your new recruits before giving them access to their email accounts. In addition, set up an exclusive email address to which all employees can report phishing attacks. Whenever they receive a malicious email in their inbox, they can forward it immediately to the central-reporting email address, so the security staff is apprised of the attack.

Inform Your Employees About the Campaign

It is important that your employees are aware that a simulated phishing test is being conducted. There is a possibility that your employees are unaware of phishing scams. Approximately 35% of employees do not know about phishing attacks, according to a report from Ponemon Institute. Furthermore, you need to tell your employees that this simulation is only for training purposes and not to trick them. Rather, it will allow them to better identify phishing emails. The engineering team should also be aware of this program so that they can remain prepared.

Send the First Phishing Email

Your employees must not know the timing of your first phishing email. Once the phishing email is delivered, take note of how many workers were able to identify the attack and how many of them reported it to the central-reporting email address.

Educate Your Employees About Phishing

After the first round of simulated phishing emails, tell your employees what phishing emails look like and how to detect them. You can create videos, give presentations, and create infographics about phishing to educate your employees about its potential dangers and how to avoid them. Make sure you hold these education sessions regularly as you send the simulated emails.

Start Your Campaign

The next step is to properly launch your campaign. The only thing you need to decide before you start the test is how many emails you will send.  Once you know how many of your employees were fooled by the trick, you can determine that more training sessions are necessary. You may want to reduce the frequency of the simulated emails while the training is in progress.

Review Your Progress

When the campaign has launched, the next thing you need to do is analyze the results. Take note of what department, team, or location needs more education and simulation training. Then, focus your efforts on those specific areas.

Final Words

Many email security solutions exist to help companies filter suspicious emails. Trustifi has a strong reputation among the leaders offering email security. Trustifi provides everything from email encryption to advanced threat protection. Still, for an email security solution to work, your employees must have the proper knowledge of phishing scams and how to detect them. Simulated phishing campaigns among employees, supported by Trustifi’s email security solution, is the winning combination to keep your company and your employees safe. Contact a Trustifi representative today to learn how simple and affordable your peace of mind can be.
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