Why is Phish Testing Important?
Phish Testing Important
Phish testing is a process that allows businesses to simulate an attack via email. It’s a key part of many security programs, and it helps companies gauge the effectiveness of their employees’ knowledge on phishing scams.
As a company’s cybersecurity strategy, it’s critical to regularly test employees’ awareness of phish testing dangers and their ability to report these attacks to the IT security team. Taking the time to do this can help organizations avoid a costly data breach, and it also provides valuable information for enhancing their overall cybersecurity strategy.
Fortinet FortiPhish is a service that simulates real-world phishing techniques for businesses to test their employee awareness and vigilance against email-based cyberattacks. Based on the latest research from Fortinet’s elite cybersecurity threat intelligence organization, this service is designed to help companies identify and mitigate phishing threats.
Why is Phish Testing Important?
Rewarding users who pass a phishing test is an effective way to motivate them to keep up with their cybersecurity awareness. In fact, a Deloitte study found that companies who offer rewards and incentives boost their employee’s engagement, productivity, and performance by 14%!
Providing your employees with incentives that encourage them to do a good job is crucial to maintaining their security awareness and preventing a data breach. For example, if your employees do well in a phishing test, you can award them with gifts or extra vacation days. This will not only encourage them to take the test seriously but also to share their results with others in your organization.
In addition to recognizing and rewarding employees, you should also try to increase the difficulty of your phishing tests as their knowledge improves. This is a great way to keep your staff up-to-date with the ever-changing methods and templates of phishing attacks.
The best way to do this is by incorporating a tool that can quickly create multiple phishing test templates and automate the simulated attack. Choose a solution that is easy to use, with user-friendly interfaces and helpful support documentation. You should also try to find a program that offers automated phishing simulations and has a built-in reporting feature. This will help you track employee risk and analyze trends over time to more accurately understand your workforce’s vulnerability to phishing attacks.
Rewarding those who do well in your phishing tests is a great way to promote employee engagement and motivation, as it changes their perception of the tests from “just another task” to “an opportunity.” In addition, it can give you an idea of which users are at the highest risk to a phishing attack, and thus require more resources for remedial training or coaching.
While it’s tempting to call out the staff members who fall for phishing tests, this can make them feel judged or misled. In fact, in the case of West Midlands Trains last year, this practice resulted in the company’s reputation being severely damaged as it was alleged that employees were tricked into clicking on a pay rise phishing link by the finance and payroll department.