Employee reviewing a suspicious phishing email on a laptop
Social Engineering Testing

Your employees are your biggest vulnerability. Have you tested them?

Phishing is the #1 attack vector. Compliance training videos aren't working. One wrong click from a well-meaning employee can cost your company millions. You need to know where your human defenses actually break — before a real attacker finds out for you.

The problem is real.

01 / THE RISK YOU FACE
91%

of cyberattacks start with a phishing email.

Not a firewall exploit. Not a zero-day vulnerability. An email. Your technical defenses mean nothing if an employee clicks the wrong link and hands over credentials.

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$4.9M

Average cost of a data breach in 2024.

And breaches that start with phishing cost even more because they go undetected longer. The damage compounds every hour your team doesn't realize they've been compromised.

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The uncomfortable truth

Annual compliance videos don't change behavior.

Your team sits through a 30-minute video once a year, clicks "complete," and goes right back to clicking suspicious links. Real resilience comes from realistic testing and targeted training — not checkboxes.

From exposed to resilient.

02 / THE PROCESS

Our 4-phase approach takes you from "we have no idea how vulnerable we are" to "our team catches threats other companies miss." Here's the journey.

1
Phase 1

Find out how vulnerable you really are.

Before we launch a single simulated attack, we sit down with your team to understand your environment, your culture, and where you think the risks are. Then we build a testing plan tailored to your organization — not a generic template.

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Risk consultation — We assess your industry, team size, existing training, and threat profile to scope the engagement.
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Custom testing plan — Tailored to your specific risks, not a one-size-fits-all phishing blast.
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What you'll know after Phase 1

Exactly what types of social engineering attacks pose the greatest risk to your organization — and a clear plan for testing them safely, with defined scope and success criteria.

No surprises. Full transparency.
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Attack simulation types

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Phishing campaigns

Targeted emails that mirror real-world attacks — from mass campaigns to highly personalized spear-phishing.

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Pretexting (impersonation)

Our team poses as vendors, IT support, or executives to test how your employees verify identity before sharing sensitive information.

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Baiting (physical media)

USB drives and devices left in common areas to see if employees plug in unknown media — a surprisingly effective real-world tactic.

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Phase 2

We simulate what real attackers do.

This is where theory meets reality. We launch realistic attack simulations using the same techniques actual threat actors use — phishing, pretexting, and physical baiting. Your employees won't know it's a test, because that's the point.

Every simulation is carefully crafted to your environment. We use current threat intelligence and attack techniques, not recycled scenarios from 2018. The goal isn't to embarrass anyone — it's to identify exactly where your defenses break so we can fix them.

3
Phase 3

See exactly where you stand.

You get a clear, detailed report that tells you what happened, why it matters, and how you compare to industry benchmarks. No 200-page PDF filled with jargon — actionable findings your leadership team can understand and act on.

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Success rates and patterns — Which attacks worked, who fell for them, and what the common failure points were.
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Business impact analysis — What those weaknesses could cost you if exploited by a real attacker.
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Industry benchmarking — How your team's resilience compares to similar organizations in your sector.
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Sample findings snapshot

Phishing click rate Measured vs. benchmark
Credential submission rate Measured vs. benchmark
Reporting rate (who flagged it) Measured vs. benchmark
Time to first click Measured vs. benchmark

Every metric is explained in plain English with clear recommendations for improvement.

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What resilience looks like

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Targeted training workshops

Interactive sessions focused on the specific attack types your team fell for — not generic awareness content.

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Policy development

Clear policies for verifying identities, handling suspicious emails, and reporting potential threats — so your team knows exactly what to do.

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Periodic retesting

Follow-up simulations to measure improvement over time and ensure new threats are covered as attack techniques evolve.

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Phase 4 — Ongoing

Build a team that catches what technology misses.

Finding vulnerabilities is only half the job. Phase 4 is where we turn weaknesses into strengths — with targeted training programs, security policy development, and periodic retesting that keeps your team sharp as threats evolve.

This isn't a one-and-done engagement. The threat landscape changes constantly, and so should your team's ability to respond. We partner with you over time to continuously raise the bar.

What changes for you.

03 / OUTCOMES

Social engineering testing doesn't just find problems — it fundamentally changes how your organization handles threats.

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Your team sees threats before they click.

Employees who've been through realistic simulations develop instincts that no compliance video can build. They learn to pause, question, and report — not just click "complete."

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You close gaps before attackers find them.

Instead of waiting for a real breach to expose your weaknesses, you'll know exactly where your human defenses break — and have a plan to fix them.

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You meet compliance with real evidence.

Regulators and auditors want to see that you're actively testing your people, not just checking a training box. Our reports provide the documentation you need for HIPAA, SOC 2, CMMC, and more.

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You get a program built for your organization.

No generic phishing templates. Every simulation is crafted around your industry, your tools, and your people — because that's what real attackers do.

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Why companies trust us with this.

Social engineering testing is sensitive work. You're testing your own people. You need a partner who does it with professionalism, discretion, and a genuine focus on making your team better — not making them look bad.

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Seasoned professionals who think like attackers.

Our team doesn't just run tools — they craft realistic scenarios using current threat intelligence and attacker techniques. The simulations feel real because they're built by people who understand how real attacks work.

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Reporting your leadership team will actually read.

Every finding is explained in business terms with clear success rates, risk ratings, and prioritized recommendations. Board-ready, not buried in technical jargon.

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We don't disappear after the report.

Testing without follow-through is wasted money. We provide training, policy guidance, and ongoing retesting to make sure the improvements actually stick. Backed by Springthrough's 25+ years of enterprise technology expertise.

Questions about social engineering testing.

Straight answers, no jargon.

Will employees know they're being tested? expand_more

No — and that's the point. For the results to be meaningful, the simulations need to mirror real-world conditions. A small group of stakeholders (typically IT leadership and HR) will know about the engagement, but the broader team will not. After testing is complete, we work with you to communicate results constructively.

Is this going to get people in trouble? expand_more

That's not the goal, and we strongly advise against punitive approaches. The purpose is to identify organizational weaknesses, not to single out individuals. Results are typically reported in aggregate, and the training that follows is designed to be constructive and empowering — not shaming.

How long does a social engineering engagement take? expand_more

A typical engagement runs 4-6 weeks from planning through final report delivery. Phase 1 (planning) takes about a week, Phase 2 (simulations) runs 2-3 weeks to capture realistic data, and Phase 3 (reporting) wraps within a week. Training in Phase 4 is scheduled based on your team's availability and can begin immediately after the report.

How is this different from the phishing tests our email provider offers? expand_more

Built-in phishing simulators use generic templates that employees quickly learn to spot. Our engagements go far beyond email — we test pretexting (impersonation via phone or in-person), physical baiting, and multi-vector scenarios that real attackers use. The simulations are custom-crafted for your environment, and the reporting includes business context and benchmarking that off-the-shelf tools don't provide.

Do we need this if we already do annual security awareness training? expand_more

Especially if you do. Annual training teaches people what they should do. Social engineering testing shows you what they actually do under pressure. The gap between those two things is often significant — and that gap is exactly where attackers operate. Testing validates whether your training investment is actually changing behavior.

Find out before an attacker does.

One conversation. No commitment. We'll help you understand where your human defenses stand — and what it would take to make them stronger.