The Top 10 Phishing Simulation And Testing Solutions
Phishing simulation and testing tools will give users real-world experience of combatting phishing attacks. Explore features including phishing templates, reporting plugins, and user metrics tracking tools.
Written by Alex Zawalnyski
Technical Review by Craig MacAlpine
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Phishing simulation and phishing test solutions test employees’ ability to identify and report phishing attacks by delivering fake phishing emails to the user’s inbox and monitoring their response to those emails.
Traditionally, phishing messages attack up to thousands of people at once; today, they’re more sophisticated. The attacker researches their victim and aims to gain their trust, making the attack more difficult to spot. This means that the end user is much more likely to engage with the attacker and share sensitive company information, like financial details or login credentials.
How Phishing Simulation And Testing Tools Work: Often deployed as part of a wider Security Awareness Training (SAT) program, phishing simulation and testing platforms allow admins to send fake phishing emails to their staff. They then monitor how each individual reacts to the email, i.e., whether they flag it or interact with it (click on a link, download an attachment).
This gives IT and SOCs a clearer understanding of their organization’s resilience to phishing dangers, and enables them to assign further modules where needed.
In this shortlist, we’ll highlight:
- The best phishing simulation software that is designed to increase resilience against attacks
Hoxhunt
Hoxhunt provides a security awareness and phishing training solution that fosters positive behavior changes among employees by training them to detect and respond to cyber threats. This solution also enables IT teams to monitor user activity and identify potentially dangerous behaviors.
Why We Picked Hoxhunt: We like Hoxhunt’s highly personalized training approach, with its AI engine identifying each user’s weaknesses and focusing training in those areas. It also offers real-time user performance tracking and in-depth reporting.
Hoxhunt Best Features: Key features include personalized phishing simulations based on skill level, department, and geolocation (with 30+ language options), real-time user performance tracking, in-depth reporting, real suspicious email reporting, categorization of reported emails by risk level, bespoke learning paths, and a rewards system with stars, badges, and a leaderboard. Integrations are not specified.
What’s great:
- Highly personalized training tailored to individual user weaknesses
- Real-time tracking and detailed reporting on user performance
- Ability for users to report real suspicious emails, reducing SOC workload
- Customizable learning paths based on user performance
- Engaging rewards system to encourage positive behavior
Pricing: For pricing, contact Hoxhunt directly.
Who it’s for: Hoxhunt is a strong solution for larger, global enterprises operating in industries susceptible to high-profile cyber attacks, such as critical infrastructure, financial services, legal, technology, and manufacturing.
Hoxhunt
Phished
Phished is a Security Awareness Training (SAT) platform that equips users to identify and report email threats effectively. It integrates awareness training, phishing and SMiShing simulations, active reporting, and threat intelligence into a comprehensive solution.
Why We Picked Phished: We appreciate Phished’s holistic approach to SAT, which includes gamified micro-learning modules and personalized phishing simulations tailored to user performance.
Phished Best Features: Key features include micro-learning modules with gamification, personalized phishing and SMiShing simulations, the Phished Report Button for threat reporting, threat intelligence for global campaign awareness, and a Behavioral Risk Score for user vulnerability assessment. Phished integrates seamlessly with email clients like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, offering 24/7 support via AI assistant, Aria.
What’s Great:
- Engaging training with gamified elements
- Personalized phishing simulations based on user responses
- Easy deployment and management across email platforms
- Immediate threat analysis and quarantine
- 24/7 multilingual support through AI
Pricing: For detailed pricing information, visit Phished directly.
Best suited for: Phished is ideal for organizations of all sizes looking to enhance their employees’ ability to identify and report phishing threats effectively.
Phished
TitanHQ Security Awareness Training is a behavior-driven solution that utilizes gamified, tailored training and automated phishing simulations to foster changes in user behavior. It caters to a variety of sectors including education, business, and healthcare, offering a comprehensive approach to security awareness.
Why We Picked TitanHQ Security Awareness Training: We appreciate its focus on specific user behaviors, combined with real-time intervention training and phishing simulations that reinforce a security-first mindset.
TitanHQ Security Awareness Training Best Features: The solution offers an extensive library of up-to-date training courses, videos, and quizzes. Users can access tailored, gamified training modules lasting 8-10 minutes to minimize productivity disruption. It also includes fully automated, adaptable phishing simulations based on a regularly updated library of thousands of phishing templates. The platform is compliant with HIPAA, GDPR, ISO, ENISA, and Cyber Essentials standards, and is SCORM compliant and LMS compatible, allowing for the upload of custom training materials. Reporting tools provide a 360-degree view of user progress in completing training and responding to phishing simulations.
What’s great:
- Targets specific user behaviors with real-time training
- Offers a wide range of up-to-date training materials
- Gamified modules minimize disruption to productivity
- Automated phishing simulations are adaptable and regularly updated
- Comprehensive compliance with major security standards
Pricing: For detailed pricing, contact TitanHQ directly.
Who it’s for: TitanHQ Security Awareness Training is best suited for organizations across education, business, and healthcare sectors seeking a tailored approach to security awareness training and phishing simulations.
ESET Cybersecurity Awareness Training is a phishing awareness training and simulation solution that emphasizes end-user engagement. It offers a comprehensive platform designed to educate employees on cybersecurity through gamified training and phishing simulations.
Why We Picked ESET Cybersecurity Awareness Training: We appreciate ESET’s focus on making training enjoyable, which enhances completion and retention rates. The RPG-style training module stands out, allowing users to apply their knowledge in a simulated, low-pressure environment.
ESET Cybersecurity Awareness Training Best Features: Key features include gamified training videos covering various cybersecurity topics, a 90-minute RPG-style training module, regular updates with bonus training packs and new single-topic modules, customizable phishing email simulations, and monitoring of user progress. The solution also automatically enrolls users failing simulations into targeted training and awards certificates and LinkedIn badges upon completion.
What’s great:
- Engaging, gamified training boosts user participation and learning
- RPG-style module provides practical, scenario-based learning
- Regular updates keep training content fresh and relevant
- Customizable phishing simulations for targeted training
- User progress tracking and automatic enrollment in remedial training
Pricing: For detailed pricing, visit ESET’s website directly.
Who it’s for: ESET Cybersecurity Awareness Training is best suited for small to mid-sized enterprises seeking effective, easy-to-manage security awareness training and phishing simulations, especially those already using ESET’s broader endpoint protection solutions.
IRONSCALES
IRONSCALES is an all-in-one anti-phishing platform that leverages AI-driven email security technology alongside security awareness training (SAT) and phishing simulations to combat social engineering attacks. The solution offers three packages—Starter, Email Protect, and Complete Protect—all of which include phishing and SMiShing simulations.
Why We Picked IRONSCALES: We appreciate IRONSCALES for its effective phishing simulation and remediation features. It stands out as a comprehensive platform for targeted spear-phishing protection, particularly when integrated with the IRONSCALES Email Security Platform.
IRONSCALES Best Features: Key features include customizable phishing campaigns using real-world templates, GPT-powered personalized spear-phishing email generation, benchmarking assessments to tailor simulation difficulty, a Report Phishing button for reporting simulations and genuine threats, real-time tracking of user progress, and seamless integration with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.
What’s great:
- Customizable phishing campaigns with real-world templates
- Personalized spear-phishing email generation using GPT
- Benchmarking assessments to adjust simulation difficulty per user
- Easy reporting of simulations and threats via the Report Phishing button
- Real-time tracking of user progress
What to consider:
- Optimal results require integration with the IRONSCALES Email Security Platform
Pricing: For detailed pricing, visit the IRONSCALES website directly.
Who it’s for: IRONSCALES is recommended for SMBs and larger enterprises seeking to deploy phishing simulations as part of a comprehensive email security and threat remediation platform.
IRONSCALES
Barracuda Security Awareness Training (SAT) is a comprehensive solution designed to mitigate email security risks through simulation, analysis, and user education. It is well-suited for organizations prioritizing ease of setup and deployment, particularly those seeking a SAT that integrates seamlessly with robust email security solutions.
Why We Picked Barracuda SAT: We like that Barracuda SAT leverages threat intelligence from Barracuda’s email protection services to create realistic simulations and training content. It offers extensive customization and detailed analytics for a tailored security training experience.
Barracuda SAT Best Features: Key features include hundreds of simulation and training templates, education on identifying various phishing methods, a Phish Reporting Button, compliance-ready modules, and customizable reporting dashboards. Integrations include seamless compatibility with Barracuda’s email protection products, enhancing overall email security management.
What’s great:
- Utilizes real-world threat data for realistic simulations
- Extensive customization options for tailored training
- Comprehensive reporting with detailed analytics
- Easy integration with Barracuda’s email security solutions
- Monthly content bundles to reinforce security awareness
What to consider:
• Primarily designed to work best with Barracuda’s email security products
Pricing: For detailed pricing, visit Barracuda’s website.
Who it’s for: Barracuda SAT is ideal for organizations seeking an easy-to-deploy security awareness training solution that integrates well with existing Barracuda email security products, suitable for businesses of all sizes looking to enhance their email security posture.
Fortra Terranova Security
Fortra’s Terranova Security phishing awareness solution is designed to foster a vigilant mindset among employees. It leverages the “knowledge, support, motivation” behavioral change theory, offering a highly customizable platform suitable for organizations of any size and location.
Why We Picked Fortra’s Terranova Security: We appreciate its extensive library of interactive, gamified content and its ability to tailor programs to specific organizational needs.
Fortra’s Terranova Security Key Features: The platform includes a comprehensive content library, customizable phishing simulations, and an LMS for creating educational programs. It supports microlearning, targeted email simulations, and visual reporting tools to assess employee engagement and identify high-risk accounts. Integrations include support for 40 languages with full scalability.
What’s Great:
- Highly customizable content tailored to organizational needs
- Interactive and gamified learning experiences
- Robust reporting tools to monitor progress and risks
- Scalable solution available in 40 languages
- Consultative support from Fortra
Pricing: Contact Fortra directly for pricing information.
Best suited for: Fortra’s Terranova Security is ideal for organizations seeking a scalable, customizable phishing awareness solution to enhance employee vigilance across diverse teams and locations.
Fortra Terranova Security
Infosec IQ
InfosecIQ is a robust security awareness training solution that combines phishing simulations with role-based training. Delivered as a 12-month program, it equips individuals with best practices to defend against phishing attacks effectively.
Why We Picked InfosecIQ: We appreciate InfosecIQ’s immediate feedback mechanism after a user engages with a simulated phishing link, enhancing learning through real-time training modules.
InfosecIQ Best Features: Key features include customizable phishing campaigns via IQPhishSim, weekly updated templates, automatic redirection to training upon clicking a phishing link, and the PhishNotify email reporting plugin. Integrations include compatibility with various email systems and devices.
What’s great:
- Real-time training modules triggered by user actions
- Extensive and frequently updated phishing template library
- User-friendly email reporting and threat quarantine capabilities
- Scalable to organizations of any size without compromising user experience
- Comprehensive training improves overall security posture
Pricing: For detailed pricing, contact InfosecIQ directly.
Who it’s for: InfosecIQ is ideal for businesses of all sizes seeking to enhance their security posture through comprehensive phishing simulation and training. It is particularly beneficial for organizations aiming to foster a strong security culture among employees.
Infosec IQ
KnowBe4
KnowBe4 is a security awareness training (SAT) provider that offers a comprehensive suite of interactive content to educate employees on security best practices. It is a robust solution suitable for organizations of all sizes, including high schools, universities, and higher education colleges, due to its extensive library and student edition.
Why We Picked KnowBe4: We like KnowBe4’s extensive library of over 1,300 resources and its personalized simulated phishing campaigns that analyze individual user behavior.
KnowBe4 Best Features: Key features include an extensive library of interactive modules, videos, games, posters, and newsletters, personalized simulated phishing campaigns, remedial learning, and detailed reporting. It offers over 60 built-in reports for training and phishing campaigns, content translations in over 34 languages, and mobile training via the KnowBe4 Learner App. Integrations support a wide range of third-party systems and allow for SCORM-compliant template uploads.
What’s great:
- One of the largest libraries of regularly updated training content
- Personalized phishing campaigns based on user behavior
- Comprehensive reporting with industry benchmarking
- Multi-language support for global organizations
- Mobile training accessibility
Pricing: For detailed pricing, contact KnowBe4 directly.
Who it’s for: KnowBe4 is best suited for organizations seeking a comprehensive SAT solution, especially those in education and enterprises looking to enhance their cybersecurity culture through extensive, customizable training programs.
KnowBe4
Proofpoint Security Awareness Training (SAT) leverages real-world threat intelligence to deliver data-driven cybersecurity education. It is particularly well-suited for large enterprises, especially those also seeking an email security solution.
Why We Picked Proofpoint SAT: We appreciate Proofpoint SAT’s integration of daily threat data into its training programs, enabling focused education on the most vulnerable accounts.
Proofpoint SAT Best Features: The platform offers phishing simulations via email and SMS, customizable templates, and the PhishAlarm button for reporting suspicious emails. It includes predefined and adaptive learning assessments covering data protection, passwords, compliance, and phishing. Additionally, it assesses users’ cybersecurity attitudes and provides a ranked list of high-risk accounts and vulnerabilities.
What’s great:
- Utilizes real-time threat intelligence to tailor training
- Comprehensive phishing simulations and assessments
- Identifies and prioritizes high-risk accounts
- User-friendly reporting with PhishAlarm button
- Suitable for integration with Proofpoint’s email security
What to consider:
• Primarily designed for larger enterprises
• May require additional configuration for specific needs
Pricing: For detailed pricing, contact Proofpoint directly.
Who it’s for: Proofpoint SAT is ideal for large enterprises, particularly those looking to enhance their cybersecurity training with integrated threat intelligence and email security solutions.
The Best Phishing Simulation And Testing Platforms For Business: Shortlist FAQs
This article was written by Alex Zawalynski, the Content Manager at Expert Insights, who works along software experts to research, write, fact-check, and edit articles relating to B2B cybersecurity and technology platforms.
This list has been edited and reviewed by Expert Insights’ CEO and Founder, Craig McAlpine. Craig has over 25 years’ experience in the cybersecurity industry. In 2003, he founded EPA Cloud, an email security company which was acquired in 2013 by Global (now Ziff Davies Inc).
Craig is an experienced endpoint security practitioner who has worked in cybersecurity management, in an MSP environment, as an email security supplier, and as a vendor in the course of his career.
- Conducting first-hand technical reviews and testing of several dozen leading SAT providers
- Interviewing executives in the phishing simulation space, as well as the wider SAT and email security industries, for first-hand insight into the challenges and strengths of different solutions
- Researching and demoing phishing training platforms over several years
- Speaking to several organizations of all sizes about their phishing simulation challenges and the features that are most useful to them
Studies have found that 82% of data breaches include a human element, including phishing and the use of stolen credentials, and one in five companies that suffer a malicious data breach is compromised via lost or stolen credentials.
Plus, organizations of all sizes and across all industries are targeted by phishing attacks.
This list has therefore been written with a broad audience in mind.
When considering phishing simulation solutions, we evaluated providers based on the following criterion:
- Customizable phishing simulations: IT teams should be able to send customized, targeted email phishing simulations to individual users or user groups. This will lead to an increased security awareness.
- Phishing templates: The solution should offer a library of phishing email templates that admins can sue to create phishing campaigns. These should cover a broad range of attack scenarios and be available in multiple languages. The provider should update this library frequently.
- A ‘report phishing’ button: Users should be able to report simulated phishing emails from directly within their inbox. While some tools also allow users to report genuine phishing threats, this feature wasn’t a requirement for inclusion on this list.
- Admin reporting tools: Admins should be able to view reports into the success of each campaign, including any emails that failed to send, which users have opened simulations, and how users have responded to them.
Note that many products on this Shortlist offer additional features, such as a training content library or some form of interactivity or competition (e.g., a leaderboard or award system). While those are excellent features to offer, they weren’t required for inclusion on this Shortlist, which focuses specifically on phishing simulation and testing. Alongside the capabilities already mentioned, key features include an easy to use interface, the option of additional training, and information on the latest scams and risk types that can be triggered with a single click.
Finally, we have looked at where a product has come from in the market, including when companies were founded, their leadership team, their mission statements, and their successes. We have also considered product updates and how regularly new features and training content are added. We have ensured all vendors are credible leaders with a solution we would be happy to use ourselves.
Based on our experience in the SAT and broader email security markets, we have also considered several other factors, such as the benefit of consolidating phishing simulations and phishing testing into a single platform, the quality of the admin interface, the customer support on offer, and other use cases.
This list is designed to be a selection of the best phishing simulation and testing providers. Many leading solutions have not been included in this list, with no criticism intended.
FAQs
Everything You Need To Know About Phishing Simulation and Testing Solutions (FAQs)
Phishing is a type of cyberattack where malicious actors attempt to lure individuals into
- Clicking on a malicious link
- Downloading a malicious file
- Share sensitive information, like financial data or credentials
Traditionally, phishing attacks were sent by email and used a “scatter gun” approach; they would spam hundreds and thousands of accounts with the same attack, in the hope the one or two of the accounts would fall for it.
Today, phishing is more sophisticated; the malicious actor researches their victim and tried to manipulate them into thinking the message is from a trusted sender, so they’re more likely to interact with it. Plus, while email is still the most common medium for exploitation, bad actors today also use SMS, phone calls, and social media to carry out phishing attacks.
Aside from email phishing, here are some other common types of phishing attack to be aware of:
- Vishing: Voice phishing, or “vishing”, attacks are sent via phone calls or voice notes
- SMiShing: SMiShing attacks are sent via SMS
- Spear phishing: Spear phishing attacks identify a specific individual, rather than hundreds of accounts at once. They often impersonate real employees, and use spoofed domains and other fraudulent material to make the attack more realistic
- Whaling: Whaling is a type of spear phishing used to single out a senior individual within an organization, such as a CEO or board member. These attacks are highly specific and directed, and often involve impersonation
- Pharming: Pharming attacks redirect employees to fake websites, where they’re tricked into typing in sensitive information that is then sent directly to the malicious actor
Often delivered as part of a wider SAT platform, phishing simulation platform is deployed to simulate real world attacks, to better understand if employees respond correctly. Once the email is sent, the employee can assess if it is risky and decide if they want to interact with it, or ignore it. There are two main benefits to this:
- Employees can put their SAT to practice and identify risks in a secure, real-world way
- IT admins can identify their most vulnerable employees based on their responses to phishing tests, and assign further education or step-up enforcement where needed
Follow these recommendations to make sure your employees get the most out of your phishing simulation tool:
- Don’t use simulation in isolation. Most phishing simulation tools are designed to be used alongside a SAT platform, which educates your employees on how to identify and react to phishing attacks. If you deploy phishing simulations without giving your employees any education, you can still monitor their behavior, but you won’t be teaching them how to improve.
- Customize campaigns to your employees. Different employees within your organization may face different types of attack depending on their role, department, and seniority. Customize your campaigns so that they present each employee with attacks that they’re likely to experience in real life.
- Update your templates. To make the emails as accurate and effective as possible, you should ensure that the phishing tests are based on current, realistic attacks. Some platforms use threat intelligence feeds to create realistic emails for your automatically.
There are a few reasons why you might want to implement a phishing simulation tool:
- Prevent data leaks: Simulated phishing emails teach your employees how to spot a phishing attack so that they won’t fall victim to a real one. Phishing simulations can also enable admins to identify any individuals or employee groups that are more susceptible to attacks, so that you can assign further modules to them.
- Monitor your attack rate: Phishing simulation platforms collect data on the success rate of each campaign, such as how many employees opened the email, how many employees clicked on a link to a “compromised” website or downloaded an attachment, and how many employees flagged the email. You can use this data to monitor your employees’ learning and your organization’s resilience to phishing over time.
- Motivate your people: Testing employees at the end of their SAT program can also motivate them to really engage with the program so that they do well in the phishing test. Some platforms take this a step further by turning campaigns into a competition and displaying the results on a leader board.
- Cultivate a culture of skepticism: Continuous SAT and phishing testing ensures that cybersecurity is always at the forefront of your employees’ minds. Helping employees not only to become aware of the topic but also to actively engage with it will help to foster a culture of skepticism across your entire workforce.
- Ensure compliance: Many regulatory frameworks, including GDPR and PCI, require organizations to undertake SAT in order to become compliant. Testing is recommended as a part of this education in order to track progress and improvement over time.
- Minimize insurance premiums: SAT can reassure a cybersecurity insurer that you are taking proactive steps to reduce your human risk levels, which in turn can help reduce your insurance premium.
Written By
Alex is an experienced journalist and content editor. He researches, writes, factchecks and edits articles relating to B2B cyber security and technology solutions, working alongside software experts. Alex was awarded a First Class MA (Hons) in English and Scottish Literature by the University of Edinburgh.
Technical Review
Craig MacAlpine is CEO and founder of Expert Insights. Before founding Expert Insights in August 2018, Craig spent 10 years as CEO of EPA cloud, an email security provider acquired by Ziff Davies, formerly J2Global (NASQAQ: ZD) in 2013, which has now been rebranded as VIPRE Email Security. Craig has extensive experience in the email security industry, with 20+ years of experience helping organizations to stay secure with innovative information security and cyber security solutions.