Technology has a lot in common with a high powered blender. It can make your business run smooth and efficient, although it can also create an impressive mess if the lid is not on tight. The modern workplace runs on cloud tools, email, quick communication, and seamless sharing. That convenience is fantastic until the wrong email shows up, dressed like something familiar, and persuades someone to click a link they probably should not touch with a ten foot pole.
Phishing attacks remain one of the simplest, most effective tactics used by cybercriminals. They do not need Hollywood style hacking skills. They only need one distracted employee, one convincing message, or one moment where someone clicks before thinking. It is the digital version of leaving your front door cracked open because the pizza delivery was running late.
That is why this month, ITGuys is introducing a new initiative across our client base. We are performing a controlled phishing test on a small number of accounts within each organization we support. This project is all about reinforcing security awareness, identifying vulnerabilities before attackers do, and making sure your team stays a few steps ahead of the tricks that land in everyone’s inbox.
Let’s break down what this project looks like, why we are doing it, and what your organization can expect.
What Is the Phishing Awareness Test?
Think of it as a real world fire drill, only without the alarm that sends everyone outside wondering who burned popcorn in the break room again. Instead, we send a carefully crafted simulated phishing email to selected users. Nothing harmful. Nothing risky. Just a safe test that lets us measure how people respond to common attack patterns.
Phishing emails today come in all shapes and styles. Some pretend to be HR messages. Some mimic vendors. Others claim to be password resets, invoices, urgent security warnings, or cute attempts from someone desperately trying to impersonate a CEO. If someone takes the bait, the consequences can be serious. Data loss, credential theft, financial fraud, and unpleasant phone calls all become possibilities.
The goal of the test is simple. We want to help your organization recognize these attempts, react correctly, and build habits that protect everyone.
Why We’re Doing This
Cybersecurity is shifting constantly, yet the most successful attacks are still surprisingly basic. Phishing continues to sit at the top of the charts, and not in a fun Grammy Awards kind of way. It is the single most common and effective technique used to breach businesses of all sizes.
This project has two major objectives:
1. Reduce Risk Before Attackers Spot an Opportunity
It only takes one risky click to open the door to larger problems. By testing email responses in a controlled setting, we can identify who needs extra training, what types of messages trick people most often, and how to reinforce safe behavior across your staff.
Reducing risk begins with understanding where the weaknesses are. This test gives us that visibility. Then we can help your team lock things down.
2. Strengthen Awareness and Build Better Security Habits
Security is not just a technology problem. It is a people problem too. When employees learn what phishing looks like, practice identifying suspicious messages, and develop healthy skepticism around unexpected requests, your entire organization becomes much harder to attack.
This project helps reinforce that awareness. It also creates a teachable moment that makes future phishing attempts far less effective.
What the Process Looks Like
We have developed a structured process that keeps things simple, effective, and minimally disruptive.
Step 1: Scheduling with the Technical Point of Contact
Our technicians will coordinate with each client’s TPOC to pick a timeframe for running the test. This ensures the simulation does not conflict with major events, big deadlines, or quarterly coffee shortages.
Step 2: Crafting the Test Email
We build a phishing style message based on common real world tactics. It may look like a password update reminder, an invoice notification, a shipment tracking message, or something similarly believable. The objective is authenticity, not trickery for the sake of trickery.
We choose the message type carefully, because the goal is to test awareness, not prank anyone.
Step 3: Sending the Simulation to Select Users
A small group of users will receive the simulated email. Not the entire company, and not the same people every time. This gives us a clear snapshot of your overall risk level without disrupting daily work.
The email is safe, contained, and harmless. No malware. No actual credential harvesting. Just a controlled probe.
Step 4: Monitoring Responses
We quietly track how users interact with the message. Typical behaviors include:
• Clicking the link
• Ignoring the email
• Reporting it to IT
• Replying to the message
• Forwarding it to someone else
• Asking the nearest coworker “Is this weird?”
In real attacks, that first group can create the biggest headaches. Our job is to identify those patterns and address them through training.
Step 5: Reviewing Results and Providing Recommendations
After the test concludes, we prepare a report for your company’s TPOC. The report outlines:
• How many users interacted with the message
• What actions were taken
• Which security habits are working well
• Where additional guidance might help
• Recommended improvements for future protection
This gives you a clear picture of how your team handles email based threats.
Why This Matters
Email remains the easiest attack vector for cybercriminals. They do not need to break encryption, exploit zero day vulnerabilities, or summon dark digital magic. They just need someone to think, “Sure, this looks normal,” and click before evaluating.
The phishing test helps prevent that moment.
Here is what is at stake:
1. Protecting Data, Money, and People
A successful phishing attack can expose sensitive data, compromise login credentials, or give malicious actors access to internal systems. Even a single compromised account can be used as a launchpad for deeper attacks. Our test helps close those gaps.
2. Meeting Compliance Expectations
For industries bound by regulations like HIPAA, SOC 2, PCI, or GDPR, phishing awareness is more than best practice. It is part of the compliance landscape. Demonstrating that your organization runs awareness tests strengthens your compliance posture.
3. Building Security Culture
Security culture starts with awareness. When employees learn to spot suspicious messages, question unusual requests, and report potential threats quickly, the entire organization becomes more secure.
Common Patterns We Expect to See
Over the years, we have noticed several recurring trends:
Curiosity Driven Clicking
Someone sees a link that says “View Document” and instantly wants to know what they are missing. Curiosity is great for science, although not always ideal for inbox safety.
Trust in Familiar Brands
Phishing emails that pretend to be from Microsoft, Google, UPS, Amazon, or popular software platforms often trick people because the branding looks familiar. Attackers rely on that trust.
Urgency Traps
Messages that scream “Immediate Action Required” or “Your Password Will Expire in 12 Minutes” cause panic driven reactions. Attackers know this works.
Overreliance on Visual Design
Some folks think an email is safe if it looks professional. Sadly, attackers have access to graphic design tools too.
All of these patterns help us understand where training should focus.
What Clients Need to Do
Very little. Your team does not need to prepare, rehearse, or practice responses. In fact, the goal is to see natural reactions.
All we ask is that your TPOC helps coordinate scheduling. After that, we handle the rest.
Once the test wraps up, we will provide:
• A clear summary of results
• Recommendations for training
• Optional security exercises for your team
• Steps you can take to reduce risk long term
We keep the process clean, simple, and constructive.
Why This Is Important Now
Phishing attacks are increasing in both volume and sophistication. Automation tools, AI generated messages, and cheap phishing kits sold online have made it incredibly easy for attackers to launch campaigns. The number of phishing based breaches continues to rise across industries.
Cloud platforms evolve too. New notification styles appear, interfaces change, and attackers adjust their templates to match. A message that was obviously fake three years ago might look completely legitimate today.
The phishing test helps catch issues early, before an attacker can take advantage of human habits.
Lessons from Previous Tests
In earlier years, we have seen tests reveal everything from curious employees clicking links simply because they were bored, to well meaning staff responding to impersonation attempts because the email sounded like something their manager might actually say.
The good news is that most issues are easy to fix. A little training goes a long way.
Clients who complete regular phishing tests often experience:
• Fewer risky clicks
• Faster reporting of suspicious emails
• Better internal communication
• More confident decision making
• Reduced exposure to credential theft
It is one of the simplest, most effective tools for keeping your business secure.
What’s Next
Over the coming weeks, our technicians will begin reaching out to schedule the test for your organization. The process is quick, typically one hour or less, and the results provide actionable insight into your organization’s security posture.
Once the test is complete, you will receive a summary report along with optional recommendations for additional training or automated anti phishing tools.
The End Goal
Good security is not always about high tech solutions. Sometimes it is about helping people build healthy habits. The phishing test project is designed to strengthen those habits, reduce risk, and keep your organization better protected.
Our mission is clear. We want to help clients stay aware, informed, and prepared for evolving threats. By taking time to test and train now, we are helping prevent bigger problems later.
If you would like to schedule a full security assessment or learn more about our training programs, reach out to our team anytime. We are here to help your business stay strong, safe, and ready for whatever arrives in your inbox next.
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