What Is Phishing Simulation?

A phishing simulation is a technique used to train your employees to identify and report social engineering threats.
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What Is Phishing Simulation and Why Is it Important to Organizations in New Jersey?

You probably already know that cybercriminals use emails to steal data. But do you actually have the experience to distinguish a phishing scam from a legitimate email? Keep reading to discover how you can train your employees to identify and report most social engineering threats. Merely educating your end-users on cybersecurity and deploying a few anti-phishing strategies is not enough to secure your sensitive data. To truly protect your network, you need to include simulated phishing programs in your cybersecurity awareness training. Using simulated phishing emails as part of a much broader security awareness training program ensures you’re always up to date on the latest techniques employed by cybercriminals. Watch this short video to get started:
Are you interested in finding out more? Let’s dive in!

What Is a Phishing Simulation?

A phishing simulation is a technique used to train your employees to identify and report social engineering threats. Phishing scams are by far the most prevalent social engineering threats and are designed to trick unsuspecting users into divulging private information. Cybercriminals typically disguise themselves as a credible individual or organization in email communication. They then attempt to use various strategies to obtain sensitive information, for example, usernames, passwords, or credit card credentials. A phishing email may contain malware or spyware in links or attachments that may be used to steal information or carry out other malicious tasks. How Do Phishing Simulations Work? Phishing simulations aim to overcome the limitations of human behavior that are the cause of up to 90% of all phishing attacks. As part of your security training, mock attacks like simulated phishing programs aim to evaluate and reinforce good employee behavior. They typically involve your IT support team creating a series of fake phishing emails specifically targeted at your organization. For example, if you’re a healthcare organization, the fake phishing emails will be tailored to resemble the most common phishing attempts in your industry closely. An ideal fishing simulation program should be automated to improve its “realness” and minimize your input. What Are the Benefits Of Simulated Phishing Programs? Beyond playing a crucial role in preventing data breaches, phishing simulation has several other benefits, including:
  1. Compliance and Training: Quite a number of data security and privacy standards now require businesses to perform extensive cybersecurity awareness training. Simulated phishing is at the heart of any robust cybersecurity program, making it a requirement for achieving compliance with regulations such as PCI and GDPR.
  2. Greater Threat Activity Reporting: Phishing simulation enables you to turn your employees from liability to your network’s last line of defense. Your team members will learn to recognize, avoid, and report potential threats that could compromise crucial systems and data. This includes everything from ransomware to malware and spyware. Simulated phishing and proper reporting procedures combine to build a robust security culture within your company.
  3. Improved Teamwork: Simulated phishing programs are based on gamification and convert typically time-consuming security awareness training into a fun exercise. Because every member of your team is involved in defending your organization against cybercriminals, phishing simulations have a significant positive impact on overall teamwork. This will, in turn, cultivate an improved team spirit from thwarting cybercrime. What’s more, this cybersecurity knowledge will extend beyond the workplace to your staff’s home offices.

Ready to Protect Your New Jersey Organization from Account Takeover?

Our experienced IT professionals at Baroan Technologies are here to help you leverage simulated phishing programs to take your security awareness training to the next level. Contact Us Now to schedule an initial consultation with one of our cybersecurity specialists.

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Baroan is a complete IT services & IT support company working with organizations in Elmwood Park and across the United States of America.

Written by Guy Baroan 
By: Guy Baroan