• 02 May, 2025
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How 1 phishing simulation can uncover dozens of hidden vulnerabilities

Email remains one of the most frequently used communication tools in the modern workplace. Yet, for all its convenience, it also remains one of the most exploited attack vectors in the cybercriminal’s playbook.

Phishing — where attackers impersonate legitimate organisations to trick employees into revealing sensitive data or credentials — continues to grow in sophistication and scale. It only takes one click on a malicious link or the opening of a cleverly disguised attachment for a business to fall victim to a data breach. This is why conducting regular, well-designed email phishing tests has become a critical step in assessing and improving an organisation’s cybersecurity posture.

A proper email phishing test simulates real-world phishing attacks to evaluate how employees respond to suspicious emails. These tests are designed not to punish staff but to help identify behavioural weaknesses, gaps in security awareness, and the overall vulnerability of an organisation’s workforce to phishing campaigns. Without these simulations, companies are essentially flying blind, unaware of how exposed they truly are until an actual incident occurs.

The value lies not just in seeing who clicks what, but in analysing how employees react, what they understand about phishing threats, and how well internal processes mitigate the risk.

The cost of not conducting email phishing simulations

Failing to conduct email phishing tests can lead to dire consequences. Phishing attacks are the gateway to a host of cybersecurity nightmares. These range from credential theft and unauthorised access to corporate systems, to the spread of malware and ransomware, and even massive data breaches involving sensitive customer or financial information. Beyond the immediate financial loss and operational disruption, the reputational damage that follows can be catastrophic. Customers, partners, and regulators all take notice when a business shows negligence in safeguarding data.

Without testing, many organisations also operate under the false assumption that their existing safeguards, such as email filters or antivirus software, are enough. However, phishing relies on human behaviour, not just technological loopholes. Even the most advanced email security software cannot stop a user from willingly surrendering login credentials to a fake login page. It’s this psychological element that makes phishing so effective and so dangerous.

Regular, real-world simulations help employees build instinctive caution, enabling them to spot red flags and report suspicious activity before damage is done. Recent high-profile breaches illustrate just how costly a single lapse can be. In 2024, Otelier, a cloud-based hotel management platform serving over 10,000 hotels worldwide, suffered a breach that compromised the data of millions of guests. The root cause? Malware infection stemmed from a social engineering attack — likely delivered via phishing email — targeting an employee, affecting well-known hotel brands such as Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt.

Similarly, a regional bank in Virginia experienced a ransomware attack after cybercriminals gained access to the bank’s network in 2018. The attackers penetrated an internal workstation via a phishing email containing an infected Microsoft Word document. This breach led to the theft of $2.4 million and highlighted the vulnerabilities financial institutions face from phishing attacks.

These breaches were not the result of sophisticated zero-day exploits, but of simple phishing tactics that could have been thwarted with better awareness and preventative testing.

How phishing tests are typically conducted and what they uncover

A well-designed phishing test replicates real-world attack scenarios, targeting employees in a way that closely mirrors how actual cybercriminals operate. These simulated campaigns are crafted to reflect current trends, such as impersonated executives demanding urgent action, bogus IT alerts prompting password resets, or fake vendors requesting invoice payments. The goal is to create a believable situation that tests the employee’s ability to recognise deception and respond appropriately.

The process is deliberately subtle. Employees are not forewarned, as the test aims to observe authentic behaviour in response to a potential threat. The simulation tracks how recipients engage with the message, whether they open the email, click on links, download attachments, or attempt to input credentials on spoofed login pages. Just as crucial is identifying who reports the suspicious activity through the proper internal channels. These behavioural responses provide valuable, data-driven insights into how well-equipped the workforce is to handle phishing attempts in real time.

What emerges from this is a rich picture of organisational risk. The results are typically analysed to uncover patterns: which departments are most vulnerable, which types of phishing content are most effective at baiting users, and how response times vary across roles or seniority.

Some simulations may also reveal how quickly incidents are escalated, whether employees use verification procedures, and how familiar they are with company-wide reporting protocols. All of this feeds into a detailed assessment report that quantifies exposure and helps shape future training and incident response strategies. Rather than simply flagging individual failings, these tests identify systemic blind spots, turning everyday interactions into valuable intelligence for long-term risk mitigation.

Why testing should be part of a larger security culture

It’s important to view phishing tests not as one-off exercises, but as part of a broader culture of cybersecurity awareness. As phishing tactics evolve, so too must employee vigilance. Regular testing, combined with engaging training modules, helps cultivate a workforce that is alert, informed, and capable of acting as a first line of defence. It also demonstrates to stakeholders and regulators that your organisation takes data protection seriously and is actively working to uphold it.

That said, conducting phishing tests in-house can be resource-intensive and prone to oversight. It requires a deep understanding of threat intelligence, behavioural science, and regulatory compliance. That’s why many organisations turn to external specialists who can bring expertise, neutrality, and a proven methodology to the table. A reliable partner ensures that the tests are realistic, ethical, and aligned with industry standards, while also providing meaningful metrics and actionable recommendations.

Privacy Ninja is one such provider trusted by businesses seeking to strengthen their defences against phishing. We offer professionally conducted email phishing simulations tailored to your organisation’s unique environment. More than just a test, our service includes a detailed report outlining behavioural insights, risk levels, and steps for mitigation. The Privacy Ninja team not only exposes potential weaknesses but also works with you to close the gaps — whether that means delivering customised training, updating protocols, or enhancing incident response.

In today’s threat landscape, awareness alone is not enough. What matters is how your team behaves when faced with real deception. A phishing test is not just a checkbox exercise. It’s a vital tool to uncover hidden vulnerabilities, reinforce your human firewall, and proactively guard against one of the most common causes of data breaches. Partnering with experts like Privacy Ninja ensures that your business isn’t caught off guard when the next phishing email lands in your inbox.