How to send a phishing awareness email to employees
Understand why and how your company can educate employees on phishing
Phishing attacks are a major threat to companies and their employees. These fraudulent emails, texts, and websites often appear legitimate and trick people into divulging personal information or transferring money. According to the FBI, phishing attacks have resulted in over $3 billion in losses since 2016. As an employer, it's important to educate your employees on how to recognize and prevent these scams in order to protect your company and its assets.
Why your company needs to educate employees on phishing
There are several reasons why it's important for your company to educate employees on phishing:
- Financial losses. Phishing attacks can result in significant financial losses for your company. By educating employees on how to spot and avoid these scams, you can help prevent these losses and protect your company's bottom line.
- Reputation damage. A phishing attack can damage your company's reputation if it results in the theft of sensitive information or financial losses. By educating employees on how to recognize and prevent these attacks, you can help protect your company's reputation and prevent long-term damage.
- Increased productivity. Dealing with a phishing attack can be time-consuming and stressful for employees. By educating employees on how to avoid these scams, you can help reduce the risk of an attack and increase productivity by eliminating the need for employees to deal with the aftermath of a successful attack.
How to craft an effective phishing awareness email to employees
Sending a phishing awareness email to employees is an effective way to educate them on how to recognize and prevent these scams. Here are some tips for crafting an effective message:
- Make it relatable. Use real-life examples of phishing attacks that have affected your company or industry to illustrate the importance of being vigilant. This will help employees understand the relevance of the issue and make the message more memorable.
- Use clear and concise language. Avoid technical jargon and use simple, straightforward language to explain the issue. This will ensure that the message is easy to understand and accessible to all employees.
- Include actionable tips. Provide employees with specific steps they can take to protect themselves and the company from phishing attacks. This could include guidelines on how to recognize suspicious emails, best practices for creating and protecting passwords, and instructions on what to do if they suspect a phishing attack.
- Make it interactive. Consider including quizzes, puzzles, or other interactive elements to make the email more engaging and increase the chances that employees will pay attention to and retain the information.
- Provide resources. Include links to additional resources, such as company policies on phishing or industry-specific guidelines, to help employees further educate themselves on the issue.
Who should you notify before sending a phishing awareness email to employees?
- IT support: It's important to inform your IT support teams of the simulated phishing campaign in order to ensure that they are aware of the potential influx of suspicious emails and can take appropriate measures to prevent any disruptions to the email system. They should also be aware of the tracking system and reporting mechanisms in place for the campaign.
- Management: Inform management of the simulated phishing campaign and the reasons for conducting it. This will help ensure that they are aware of the training and can support its implementation. Management should also be made aware of the tracking and reporting mechanisms in place for the campaign.
- Human resources: It's a good idea to notify HR of the simulated phishing campaign so that they can help communicate the training to employees and provide support as needed. HR should also be informed of the tracking and reporting mechanisms in place for the campaign.
- Employees: Employees should be notified of the simulated phishing campaign and the reasons for conducting it, however it's advisable to leave a small gap between the advisory and the actual phishing campaign so to not artifically affect the results. They should also be provided with training materials and made aware of the tracking and reporting mechanisms in place for the campaign.
- External stakeholders: If your company works with external stakeholders, such as contractors or clients, you may want to inform them of the simulated phishing campaign. This will help prevent any confusion or misunderstandings if they receive a simulated phishing email as part of the campaign.
What infrastructure do you need to send a phishing awareness email to employees?
- Email server: You will need an email server to send the simulated phishing emails to employees. This can be an in-house server or a third-party service.
- Phishing landing page: If the simulated phishing campaign involves employees clicking on a link and entering personal information, you will need to set up a landing page for this purpose. This page should be hosted on a secure server and should mimic the appearance of a legitimate website or login page.
- Tracking system: It's important to track the success rate of the simulated phishing campaign in order to measure the effectiveness of the training and identify areas for improvement. You will need a system to track which employees fell for the simulated phishing attempt and which ones correctly identified it as a scam.
- Training materials: In order to educate employees on how to recognize and prevent phishing attacks, you will need to provide training materials. This could include presentations, videos, or written materials that explain the different tactics used in phishing attacks and provide tips on how to protect against them.
- Reporting system: After the simulated phishing campaign has been conducted, you will need a system in place to report on the results and identify areas for improvement. This could include a report template or software tool to help analyze and present the data.
Wrapping up
Phishing attacks are a serious threat to both individuals and organizations. By educating your employees on how to recognize and prevent these scams, you can protect your company from financial losses and reputation damage. Use the tips above to craft an effective phishing awareness email and help your employees stay vigilant.
By utilising the phishing simulation platform provided by CanIPhish, you can train your employees without having to having about pulling together the necessary infrastructure or material, we provide all of this for you in our completely managed platform. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the team at CanIPhish.
Sebastian Salla
A Security Professional who loves all things related to Cloud and Email Security.