At TecnetOne, we understand that phishing is one of the most common (and dangerous) threats for companies of all sizes and industries. But what exactly is a phishing simulation? It’s a controlled exercise that mimics a real attack with the goal of training employees and helping them recognize phishing attempts before it’s too late.
With these kinds of exercises, organizations not only educate their teams but also strengthen their internal security by improving their ability to detect and respond to phishing attacks effectively.
Why Is It Important to Implement Phishing Simulations in Your Company?
As mentioned earlier, phishing remains one of the most common and effective threats companies face today. Regardless of your size or industry, if people are using email, there’s a risk.
That’s precisely why phishing simulations exist. These are controlled campaigns where fake (but safe) emails or messages are sent to evaluate how your team reacts to an attempted scam. It’s not about pointing fingers—it’s a learning tool. It helps reduce human error, identify weaknesses in your security culture, and promote safer habits across the organization.
Why Is This So Relevant Today?
Because cybercriminals no longer need to hack complex systems... they just need someone to fall for the bait. One click on a malicious link, sharing a password, or downloading the wrong file can be enough to compromise the security of the entire company.
By running regular simulations, your team develops a more critical mindset: they learn to identify warning signs, report suspicious activity, and take action before real damage is done.
Simulation, Technical Testing, and Training: What’s the Difference?
Although all these resources are part of a solid cybersecurity strategy, each one plays a different role:
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Phishing simulation: an exercise that tests human behavior. It evaluates how people respond to deceptive attempts and serves as practical training.
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Technical testing (such as pentesting or red teaming): focuses on finding vulnerabilities in systems, networks, or applications. The goal is to assess security from a technical—not human—perspective.
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Training / e-learning: includes courses, videos, or educational content that explain security best practices. Simulations provide real-life context, while training helps reinforce that learning.
What Do These Programs Aim to Achieve?
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Awareness: ensuring everyone in the organization can identify common phishing signs, such as suspicious senders, urgent messages, or unusual attachments.
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Security culture: fostering an environment where reporting potential threats is normal—without fear or judgment—and includes constructive feedback.
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Risk reduction: decreasing the number of clicks on malicious emails, preventing repeat incidents, and increasing the number of reports of suspicious activity.
How Do Phishing Simulations Work?
Phishing simulations are not just random fake emails sent out without purpose. They are part of a broader cybersecurity training strategy, usually led by the IT team or the information security department. The process is typically divided into five clear steps:
- Planning: Everything starts with a solid strategy. The organization defines what it wants to achieve with the simulation, who will receive it (for example, specific departments or even executives), and how often it will run. It also decides what type of emails to use—whether they will be more generic or simulate more sophisticated attacks.
- Crafting: Once the plan is in place, the next step is to create fake emails that look very real. The security team often draws inspiration from real phishing attack examples, including templates circulating on the dark web. Every detail is carefully designed: subject line, sender, tone, wording... Sometimes the email is made to appear as if it comes from a trusted boss or colleague, making the scenario even more convincing. All of this falls under social engineering techniques.
- Sending: When the emails are ready, they are sent through secure channels, always respecting users’ privacy. This is usually handled by the IT team or a specialized provider like TecnetOne. The goal is to simulate a real attack—without causing harm.
- Monitoring: After the emails are sent, the monitoring phase begins. The team tracks how employees react: who opened the email, who clicked on links, who downloaded attachments, or even who entered confidential information. This step is crucial for identifying weak spots.
- Analysis and Feedback: Once the test is complete, the results are analyzed: click rates, common mistakes, risky behaviors, and more. Based on this information, direct feedback is provided to those who fell for the simulation—explaining which red flags they missed and how to better detect a real phishing attempt in the future.
Often, this data is compiled into a report shared with leaders or area managers and is also used to enhance future training efforts.
After the analysis, the ideal approach is to repeat the process regularly. This way, the company stays one step ahead, strengthens its security culture, and helps ensure its team is increasingly prepared to face real threats.
Read more: How to build a culture of cybersecurity in your company?
What Should You Consider When Implementing Phishing Simulations?
Launching a phishing simulation campaign isn’t just about sending fake emails and waiting to see who falls for them. For it to be truly effective, there are several key factors worth considering. Here’s what you need to know:
Frequency and Variety: One-Time Simulations Aren’t Enough
One phishing simulation per year won’t change your company’s security culture. The key is consistency and diversity. That’s why we recommend conducting these tests regularly, using different types of attacks—such as impersonation, malicious links, suspicious attachments, and more.
Why? Because attacks are constantly evolving, and if your simulations always follow the same pattern, your team will only learn to spot one specific kind of threat. By varying the scenarios, you keep everyone alert and reinforce learning in day-to-day operations.
Realistic and Thoughtful Content
If you want the simulation to be effective, the emails need to look real. And not just in design—but also in tone, sender, and context. Many organizations use templates inspired by real-world attacks, like the classic CEO fraud (or Business Email Compromise, BEC), where the attacker impersonates a top executive to request urgent data or transfers.
To achieve this level of realism, the security team must thoroughly research the simulation’s target audience—what roles the recipients have, and what types of messages would be believable in their daily routines. The more believable the scenario, the more effective the learning experience.
Example of an Email Used in a Phishing Simulation
When Is the Right Time to Run a Simulation?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Some companies prefer to launch their first simulation before any formal training to establish a baseline and measure progress over time. Others choose to run it after initial training sessions to evaluate whether the concepts are being applied in practice.
Ultimately, it depends on your goals:
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If you want to measure your team’s current awareness, start without prior notice.
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If your aim is to reinforce learning, simulate after the training.
The key is to choose an approach that aligns with your objectives and ensure the IT or security team knows exactly what to evaluate.
Educational Follow-Up: More Than a Test—A Chance to Learn
A successful simulation doesn’t end with a click. The real value lies in what follows. Educational follow-up is what transforms mistakes into learning opportunities. It’s not about blaming those who fell for the trap, but rather supporting them with clear, helpful, and judgment-free feedback.
Show which warning signs they missed, why the email was suspicious, and how they could respond better next time. That’s what truly makes a difference. It also strengthens your security culture and builds trust, encouraging employees to report suspicious activity without fear.
Measuring Results and Staying Up to Date
After every simulation, it’s essential to analyze the results: click rates, who reported the email, which departments showed more weaknesses, and so on. This helps identify the highest-risk areas and determine which individuals or teams need more support.
And remember: threats are constantly evolving. That’s why it’s crucial for the security team to stay up to date on the latest phishing tactics, so future simulations remain relevant and impactful. Each test should be a bit more challenging… and a lot more valuable.
Conclusion
Well-executed phishing simulations not only help identify vulnerabilities but also educate, raise awareness, and strengthen the cybersecurity culture within the organization. By focusing on frequency, realistic content, proper timing, and educational follow-up, you’ll be much closer to having a team that’s truly prepared to face real-world threats.
