Can a phishing exercise harm the organization's operations?

No. Every exercise is carried out in a controlled way and coordinated in advance with the organization's management and IT staff, with no operational harm, data loss or damage to systems. The decoy emails contain no malicious code.

Do employees need to know that they are being tested?

No. One of the principles of the exercise is that employees are not aware of it in advance - this is how a true measurement of behavior is obtained. Management and IT are informed, but the rest of the organization is not.

What happens to an employee who fell for the phishing trap?

The employee immediately receives a short, clear explanation - why the simulation was sent, which signs they should have noticed, and how to act next time. No one is shamed or punished - the emphasis is on learning at the moment of truth.

How long does a phishing exercise take?

A basic exercise usually takes 2-4 weeks: a week for planning and scoping, one to two weeks to run the campaign, and a week for analysis and reporting. Advanced exercises such as a red team can take longer.

Is once a year enough for a phishing exercise?

An annual exercise is a good start, but organizations that want consistent improvement run exercises several times a year. Repeated measurement shows the improvement trend over time and lets you identify departments that still need attention.

What is the difference between a phishing exercise and regular security training?

Regular training conveys theoretical knowledge. A phishing exercise creates a real situation in which the employee faces an actual manipulation attempt - and that is the most effective way to produce a behavior change. The combination of an exercise + training immediately afterward is the recommended approach.

Is special coordination with email providers or IT required?

Yes, PhishingU coordinates in advance the IP and domains used for sending with the IT team, so that the emails are not blocked by filters before they reach employees. This coordination is kept to IT staff only and is not exposed to the rest of the organization.

Why do organizations need phishing simulations and awareness training?

The human factor, social engineering, and how phishing exercises strengthen organizational protection

In line with information security frameworks and standards such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS and others, the organization is expected to implement controls, processes and policy documents, among other things on raising employee awareness of information security.

Social engineering tactics: phishing, pretexting, tailgating. An infographic presenting the different attack methods, phishing checks and phishing tests for identifying weak points, and how to protect against them through phishing exercises and employee awareness

The main reasons

The human factor - a target and a defender

Most cyberattacks begin by exploiting the human factor. With the right training, employees become the organization's first and strongest line of defense.

Social engineering - a growing threat

Attackers use sophisticated psychological manipulation to bypass technical security systems. The only way to fight it is practical training.

Documentation for standards and regulation

Frameworks such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, GDPR and Standard 361 expect evidence of awareness training and human-factor controls. Phishing simulations support the awareness program and help produce evidence for auditors and management.

A quick response and early detection

Organizations that run phishing exercises see a marked improvement in employees' ability to detect, report and respond. Early detection saves time, money and reputational damage.

What the data shows

90%

of attacks exploit the human factor

↑ marked

improvement in recognition and reporting after practical training

$4.9M

The average cost of a data breach (IBM, 2024)

Proven

The advantage of in-person, hands-on training over recorded content alone

How does it work in practice?

The facts on the ground clearly indicate that one of the most effective ways to raise employee awareness of social engineering, cyber threats and data leak prevention is to run a phishing simulation that looks completely real to the organization's employees and managers.

A realistic simulation that looks completely real
Minimal coordination with the CISO or IT manager only
Immediate feedback to employees who fell for it - learning at the moment of truth
A detailed report for management with weak points and recommendations
Continuous improvement - measurement over time
Building an organizational culture of security

Testing protection systems

We are experts in testing the security of email systems, whether they are secured by the email provider itself, such as Google Workspace and Office 365, or the organization has purchased additional protection systems against email spoofing, impersonation and so on.

Google Workspace Security testing

Microsoft 365 ATP testing

Anti-spoofing testing

DMARC, SPF, DKIM testing

Sandboxing testing

URL rewriting testing

Frequently asked questions

Run a phishing simulation for your employees yourself - in 15 minutes* · from ₪999

* One allowlisting action by your IT team is required, and launch is subject to a security review of up to one business day.

How it works, pricing and frequently asked questions Order awareness training only