With 60% of cyber breaches involving human error, organisations are investing increasingly in phishing training programmes to strengthen their first line of defence.
The most effective approach to phishing training involves running an ongoing phishing simulation programme, which involves running a series of controlled cybersecurity exercises that mimic real-world social engineering attempts. The idea is to test how employees respond – and to teach them over time how to recognise and report potential attacks better, so you can build long-term security awareness among the workforce.
When they’re constructed wisely, phishing simulations help to reduce the likelihood of actual phishing-related breaches, because they address the core of the issue; human error and ignorance of the deceptive tactics cybercriminals use.
Despite growing adoption, many phishing simulation programmes fail to deliver lasting behavioural change. Here are the seven most common mistakes.
Mistake #1: Using unrealistic or outdated scenarios
Cybercriminals have moved away from obvious scams and broken English emails that so often provided clear signs that something was “off.”
Today’s phishing lures use generative AI, which comes with perfect grammar and can impersonate trusted individuals with impressive accuracy. If your training programme still focuses on spotting missing punctuation marks, you’re training employees to detect a threat that doesn’t exist anymore.
Aside from being up to date, scenarios also must be realistic. Employees might face different types of phishing depending on their role or department. It’s unlikely that an IT worker would receive a phishing lure about paying a vendor, as they are likely to dismiss it automatically. However, they might receive a request to grant someone system access, which they might consider if they are not trained to think about such requests.
Mistake #2: Treating phishing training as a one-off event
One of the main problems with phishing training programmes is that they’re often seen as annual checkbox exercises, typically to satisfy compliance requirements. But human behaviour doesn’t change after a single training session.
Just like learning any other skill, spotting phishing attempts requires regular exposure and reinforcement over time.
Another problem with the once-a-year approach is that threat actors don’t stand still. They are always changing their tactics, so that one training programme at the start of the year could become obsolete by March. Ideally, phishing simulations should run constantly. Simulated attack content needs to be refreshed every month, so employees are exposed regularly to techniques they might actually face.
Mistake #3: Not providing immediate feedback
Feedback is the most important element of an effective phishing simulation. This is where learning happens, dictating whether the employee walks away having learned about phishing, or simply forgetting they ever participated.
To maximise the learning impact, feedback must be delivered instantly and in context. Employees should immediately see what specific red flags they missed and how to verify such messages in the future.
Micro-learning modules can be highly effective here, as they only take a few minutes but will take the employee through the scenario they might have fallen for, explain the psychology behind it, and help them respond correctly next time.
Mistake #4: Failing to involve higher-ups
Many organisations make the mistake of excluding their executives from training programmes. This is an oversight as the C-suite is among the most targeted groups in phishing campaigns.
Business email compromise (BEC) and spear-phishing attacks are among the most popular and effective scams, and their premise is around impersonating or targeting executives to facilitate the authorisation of fraudulent payments, reveal sensitive data, or approve “urgent” requests.
Executive buy-in sends a strong message that cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility. When the entire team sees that their higher-ups participate actively in phishing simulations, they are more likely to engage.
Mistake #5: Shaming those who fail
One of the fastest ways to undermine a phishing simulation programme is to shame employees who fall for simulated attacks. The goal isn’t to expose who failed, but to help everyone recognise risky behaviours and learn how to avoid them in the future.
It’s important to communicate this goal clearly from the start. There should be no feelings of blame or guilt surrounding phishing simulations.
Mistakes reveal gaps in awareness in a controlled environment where employees can learn safely, rather than learning the hard way by falling for an actual phishing attack.
Mistake #6: Ignoring data insights
Phishing simulations provide all sorts of valuable data, from click rates and report rates to insights on repeat offenders, high-risk departments, and overall improvement trends. Yet many organisations fail to use this information fully, using it to make their programmes smarter and more targeted.
The metrics are indicators of how security awareness is progressing (if at all). Tracking data per department may reveal that one is performing worse than others, which indicates a need for more specific or realistic training scenarios.
Small data-driven adjustments compound over time and ensure that the simulation programme improves and provides maximum value over time.
Mistake #7: Only focusing on email phishing
While email is the most popular phishing delivery method, it’s far from the only one.
Attackers are creative and use many forms of communication to trick victims. Other popular formats and channels include SMS messages (smishing), QR codes (quishing), voice calls (vishing), and video conference calls with the help of deepfake technology.
Ignoring any of these methods in training programmes leaves a big gap in employee awareness. Emails should still remain a priority as they continue to be the most common, but employers should include scenarios that involve other delivery methods so that employees are at least aware that such threats exist.
Final thoughts
Phishing simulation training is the best way to prepare for and prevent the most common entry point for security breaches: human error. But that’s not to say that any programme will automatically make an organisation safer. For phishing simulations to work, they must be methodical, practical, and continuous, rather than a checkbox the security team uses to satisfy compliance requirements or auditors.
Image source: Unsplash
