Guides

Phishing Simulation Best Practices

How to design and run effective phishing simulations that actually improve employee behavior.

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  • 15 min read

Phishing Simulation Best Practices

Why Phishing Simulations Matter

Phishing simulations are one of the most effective tools for measuring and improving your organization's security awareness. By sending realistic but harmless phishing emails to employees, you can identify vulnerabilities and provide targeted training.

Getting Started

Before launching your first simulation, consider these foundational elements:

1. Set Clear Objectives

Define what you want to achieve. Are you establishing a baseline? Testing specific departments? Measuring improvement after training?

2. Get Executive Buy-In

Ensure leadership understands the purpose and supports the program. They should communicate to employees that simulations are a learning opportunity, not a "gotcha" exercise.

3. Start with Education

Before your first simulation, provide baseline training so employees know what phishing looks like and how to report it.

Designing Effective Simulations

Difficulty Progression

Start with easier-to-detect phishing emails and gradually increase difficulty as your workforce improves:

  • Level 1: Obvious red flags - unknown senders, poor grammar, suspicious links
  • Level 2: Better crafted emails with subtle issues
  • Level 3: Highly targeted spear phishing that mimics real attacks

Variety is Key

Use different phishing scenarios to test various attack vectors:

  • Credential harvesting (fake login pages)
  • Attachment-based attacks
  • Business email compromise scenarios
  • Brand impersonation
  • Urgency-based requests

Responding to Results

Immediate Feedback

When an employee clicks a simulated phishing link, provide immediate, educational feedback. Explain what they missed and how to identify similar attacks in the future.

No Punishment

Avoid punitive measures for clicking. Punishment creates fear and discourages reporting. Instead, treat failures as learning opportunities.

Targeted Remediation

Employees who repeatedly click should receive additional training, but in a supportive, educational context.

Metrics to Track

  • Click Rate: Percentage of employees who clicked
  • Report Rate: Percentage who reported the email as suspicious
  • Time to Click: How quickly employees clicked
  • Time to Report: How quickly employees reported
  • Trends Over Time: Improvement across campaigns

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