Understanding of Phishing Simulations and Tools

What is phishing simulation

Phishing simulations are a crucial component of any IT security strategy. Phishing remains a significant and serious threat, posing risks to companies' security with relative ease and speed. Conducting phishing simulations is vital for bolstering security measures and raising awareness among employees about this critical issue. By familiarizing employees with common phishing tactics, simulations aim to empower them to recognize and respond appropriately to potential threats.

Essentially, phishing simulations replicate controlled attacks. Acting as service providers, we assume the role of attackers to assess vulnerabilities and determine potential risks to sensitive data. Through various simulated phishing scenarios, these exercises help identify weaknesses within the organization's security posture.

In essence, phishing simulations serve as simulated attacks designed to uncover vulnerabilities and address them effectively.

Phishing simulation tools:

While manual scenarios and tests remain unmatched in precision and targeted assessment, the security sector acknowledges the effectiveness of manual testing for yielding accurate results. However, the availability of diverse automated tools has revolutionized phishing simulations, offering valuable assistance depending on the specific use case. These tools prove particularly beneficial when budget constraints or limited expertise hinder the execution of manual phishing simulations. In the following section, we will delve into a few commonly used phishing tools, providing insights into their functionalities and purposes.

Zphisher Zphisher serves as an introductory phishing tool tailored for beginners and novices, offering a selection of automated phishing tests. Currently, Zphisher features approximately thirty pre-designed phishing templates, simplifying the process of launching and conducting automated tests. Designed with simplicity in mind, Zphisher is an ideal choice for those new to phishing simulations, minimizing complexity for ease of use.

Evilginx2 Evilginx2 is a phishing tool that positions itself as a man-in-the-middle framework for conducting attacks. It leverages session cookies to establish an efficient attack infrastructure. With a focus on phishing credentials, Evilginx2 aims to bypass various forms of two-factor authentication. As the successor to the well-known Evilginx, the "2" in its name signifies its evolution. Evilginx2 introduces its HTTP and DNS servers, replacing the previous reliance on nginx HTTP server proxies in Evilginx.

Gophish Gophish, a phishing tool operated via a REST API, facilitates a range of phishing attacks. As an open-source framework, users can create customized phishing templates and campaigns, which can be scheduled and sent automatically. What sets Gophish apart is its intuitive interface, allowing users to visually configure settings. The web interface includes a comprehensive HTML editor and provides sophisticated representations of important data for tracking results. Gophish is compatible with Windows, MacOS, and Linux, offering various binaries for seamless operation across platforms.

HiddenEye HiddenEye is branded as a contemporary phishing tool equipped with a comprehensive array of features. From traditional phishing methods to keyloggers and social engineering collection tools, HiddenEye offers all the essentials for executing successful phishing attacks. With support for multiple tunneling services, Serveo URL selection, advanced penetration testing capabilities, and live attack functionalities including IP, geolocation, ISP, country, and address identification, HiddenEye stands out as an exceptionally efficient phishing tool. Its versatility makes it well-suited for sophisticated phishing simulations, particularly for enterprise-level scenarios.

King Phisher King Phisher is designed to replicate authentic phishing attacks, effectively increasing user awareness. It's the go-to tool for comprehensive phishing simulations due to its flexibility and extensive control over email and server content. While its interface may not boast a modern look, it serves its function well, ensuring easy selection and management of all King Phisher features. Whether you're planning a straightforward phishing exercise or a more complex simulation, King Phisher's adaptability makes it an ideal choice.

Infosec IQ Infosec IQ, developed by Infosec, facilitates automated phishing risk assessments and simulated phishing campaigns. While the free tool serves as a useful preview, it represents just a fraction of the capabilities offered by the developer's larger tool, PhishSim. PhishSim enables extensive and comprehensive phishing simulations on a large scale, boasting over 1,000 phishing templates for easily and quickly conducting typical scenarios. Additionally, PhishSim features a drag-and-drop email builder for crafting phishing emails. Therefore, the Infosec IQ tool serves as a mere introduction to the broader range of offerings available from Infosec.

LUCY LUCY, a commercially developed tool, boasts meticulous attention to detail, accompanied by a visually appealing yet somewhat cluttered web interface. Serving as a comprehensive social engineering platform, LUCY extends beyond phishing, emphasizing awareness of various attacks through personalized quizzes and assessments. While a community version of LUCY has been available, the tool is predominantly offered in three robust and premium enterprise editions. Nonetheless, LUCY operates seamlessly and reliably as an awareness platform, making it suitable for large-scale phishing awareness programs.

Phishing Frenzy Phishing Frenzy offers a versatile platform primarily designed for penetration testing purposes. Built using Ruby on Rails, this tool can also facilitate phishing simulations. Certain functionalities enable the execution of in-house phishing campaigns within the organization. Notably, Phishing Frenzy excels in generating detailed and precise statistics for these campaigns. However, it's important to note that Phishing Frenzy is not recommended for beginners due to its complexity.

SpearPhisher SpearPhisher is an innovative phishing tool originally created by TrustedSec. Its primary objective was to develop the most straightforward tool for crafting phishing emails. Designed to be user-friendly, SpearPhisher is accessible not only to security professionals but also to CEOs within their organizations. This Windows-based program features a simple user interface and a WYSIWYG HTML editor for swiftly creating emails. TrustedSec aimed to empower users to send phishing emails without relying on external service providers or complicated Linux setups.

SPT The Simple Phishing Toolkit offers a notable feature: the ability to redirect phished users to a predefined landing page during phishing tests or simulations. This feature allows for the integration of phishing simulations with security training, as phished users can be promptly informed, educated, and trained upon redirection. Additionally, users who have received proper training can be separately tracked using the toolkit. However, due to the lack of active development, utilizing the Simple Phishing Toolkit in a corporate setting is challenging and not recommended. Despite this limitation, its innovative approaches warrant its inclusion in the list of notable phishing tools.

SEToolkit SEToolkit, short for Social Engineer Toolkit and commonly abbreviated as SET, is a creation of TrustedSec, crafted by the ingenious Dave Kennedy. Developed in Python, this tool is tailored for conducting social engineering penetration tests. SEToolkit excels in spear-phishing and mass email campaigns within the realm of phishing. Being Python-based, it lacks a graphical interface, making it more suitable for experienced security professionals than for beginners.

SpeedPhish Framework (SPF) While primarily intended for penetration testing, the SpeedPhish Framework (SPF) boasts numerous features tailored for launching effective phishing attacks. This Python-based program facilitates phishing campaigns against multiple targets and offers convenient email collection capabilities. Despite its focus on pentesting templates, SPF proves equally effective for conventional phishing attacks, making it an ideal choice for conducting phishing simulations.

User phishing tools in organizations.

Implementing phishing tools within companies targets human vulnerabilities, which are often the root cause of leaks or security breaches. Lack of proper safety training leaves employees susceptible to relatively simple phishing emails that can compromise sensitive data.

Phishing simulations play a crucial role in quickly and effectively identifying potential risks and vulnerabilities within companies. By pinpointing areas of concern in operations and systems, these simulations facilitate education and protection measures to prevent malicious phishing attacks.

Our selection of phishing tools encompasses both simulation tools and automated solutions, catering to various needs. With this overview, users can find suitable options to conduct simulations and bolster their security measures effectively.