You invest in firewalls, antivirus software, encryption and security policies. Yet attackers still manage to breach companies time and again, most often not because they have overcome technical defences, but because they have deceived employees. The human factor is and will remain the weakest link in cybersecurity for the long term.
A phishing simulation is a controlled experiment in which you send employees fake phishing emails and measure their reactions. It is the most accurate way to determine the actual level of security awareness in your organisation, and at the same time one of the most effective tools for improving it.
Why Phishing Remains the Most Dangerous Attack Vector
Phishing works because it exploits basic human traits: trust, haste, authority and curiosity. Modern phishing emails are indistinguishable from legitimate communication at first glance. Attackers personalise messages (spear phishing), mimic the email style of specific individuals or companies (business email compromise), create credible copies of login pages and instil a sense of urgency.
The statistics speak clearly: more than 90% of cyber incidents begin with phishing.Yet the average click-through rate on phishing links in companies without regular training stands at 25-35 %. In other words: every third to fourth employee clicks a dangerous link without realising it.
New forms of phishing in 2025
- AI-generated phishing emails - attackers use large language models to create grammatically flawless and contextually convincing messages that are much harder to detect than the typically poorly translated scams of the past.
- Quishing (QR phishing) - fraudulent QR codes in emails or physically placed in offices that lead to malware or phishing websites.
- Vishing and smishing - phone and SMS phishing, often supplementing an email attack.
- Deepfake vishing - a forged voice or video recording of a superior that convinces an employee to make a payment or disclose login credentials.
How phishing simulations work: methodology
Professional phishing simulations are not about catching employees and showing them how uneducated they are. The goal is to measure, educate and improve, safely and without damaging workplace relationships.
Phase 1: Preparation and setup
At the outset, the simulation objectives, target employee groups and types of phishing scenarios are defined. Scenarios should reflect real threats faced by the organisation or sector, different scenarios are relevant for the financial sector, healthcare or manufacturing. Scenarios are graded by difficulty: from obviously suspicious emails through well-crafted internal communications to highly targeted spear-phishing messages.
Phase 2: Dispatch and Monitoring
Simulated phishing emails are sent to targeted employee groups. The system automatically tracks key metrics:
- Email open rate
- Click-through rate on the link
- Rate of credential submission on a fraudulent webpage
- Rate of reporting suspicious emails to the security team
- Response time from delivery to reporting
Employees who click the link are immediately shown an educational page explaining what happened, how the scam worked and what to focus on next time. This "teachable moment" immediately after the mistake is exceptionally effective for retention.
Phase 3: Analysis of results and reporting
After the simulation ends, the organisation receives a detailed report with results, overall and per department, branch or job role. The results reveal where critical weak points lie: whether certain employee groups, specific time windows or types of scenarios are more at risk.
What to do with the simulation results and how to combine them with training
The results of a phishing simulation are valuable only if followed by specific action. Identified weaknesses form the basis for targeted training programmes.
Structured safety training programme
An effective security awareness programme does not consist of a single annual training session. It operates as an ongoing process combining multiple formats:
- Short e-learning modules (5-10 minutes) focused on specific threats: phishing, social engineering, secure passwords, remote work.
- Regular phishing simulations - It is recommended at least once per quarter, using various scenarios. The aim is to maintain vigilance, not to test only once a year.
- Live training and workshops for groups with a higher risk level: company management, finance, HR, IT administrators.
- Gamification and Competitions - leaderboards, points and rewards for correctly reporting suspicious emails reinforce desired behaviour.
- Simulation immediately after the incident - if the company has experienced an actual incident, this is the ideal time for training, as the topic is current and personally relevant.
A culture of safety, not a culture of fear
The key is that phishing simulations should not create an atmosphere of fear and mutual surveillance. Employees should understand why this is done, and the results should not be used to punish individuals. On the contrary, reporting suspicious emails should be rewarded and celebrated as proactive security behaviour.
Organisations that combine regular simulations with structured training achieve an average reduction in click rates from 25-35 % to less than 5 % after 12 months. This is a measurable risk reduction that directly affects the likelihood of a successful attack.
If you want to launch a phishing simulation for your company or compile a comprehensive security training programme, contact the specialists at SecureOn.czWe are happy to design a programme tailored to the size and needs of your organisation.