Phishing simulation programs are controlled exercises that send realistic but harmless phishing emails to employees to test their ability to identify and respond to social engineering attacks. These programs measure human vulnerability to phishing, the most common initial attack vector in data breaches. Beyond testing, simulations serve as experiential learning opportunities where employees who interact with simulated phishing receive immediate education about the indicators they missed and the potential consequences of the action they took.
Simulation programs operate on recurring cycles with varying complexity. Templates range from basic mass phishing to targeted spear-phishing crafted for specific departments or roles. Campaigns are designed to test recognition of different phishing indicators: suspicious sender addresses, urgency language, credential harvesting links, malicious attachments, and business email compromise scenarios. Results are tracked by click rate (users who clicked the link), credential submission rate (users who entered credentials), reporting rate (users who reported to IT), and no-action rate. Employees who fail receive immediate just-in-time training. Repeat offenders enter enhanced training tracks. Program maturity progresses from basic email phishing to multi-channel simulations including voice phishing and SMS phishing.
Phishing accounts for over 80% of reported security incidents and remains the primary initial access method for ransomware and data breaches. Technical controls like email filtering catch the majority of phishing attempts, but sophisticated attacks consistently reach user inboxes. Regular simulation builds the human detection layer that compensates for technical control gaps. Organizations running consistent phishing simulations report significant reductions in click rates over time, directly reducing organizational risk.
CDA addresses phishing defense through the TID domain for threat awareness and SPH domain for security hygiene. The Institute incorporates phishing recognition into training curricula. Theater missions include designing and operating phishing simulation programs that generate measurable behavioral improvement rather than merely identifying vulnerable employees.