How to Create Phishing Templates for Security Awareness

Creating phishing templates for security awareness training is essential for educating employees about potential cyber threats.

Cybercriminals send over 3.4 billion phishing emails daily, tricking employees into sharing credentials or downloading malware. In 2024, phishing was responsible for 36% of all data breaches. A well-crafted phishing simulation can train employees to spot these threats before real damage occurs.

For example, many companies in 2024 suffered data breaches after their employee fell for a phishing email posing as an IT update. They could have prevented the attack if the company had used security awareness training.

In this blog, we’ll discuss how to design phishing templates that mimic real threats, enhance employee awareness, and reduce cyber risks.

Phishing Email Template Management

Managing phishing email templates effectively is crucial for running successful phishing simulations. Organizations need to create, modify, and track templates to keep up with evolving threats. By customizing templates to mimic real-world phishing attacks, businesses can better assess employee awareness and improve their overall security posture.

Key Aspects of Phishing Template Management:

• Customization: Modify templates to include realistic company-specific details.
• Tracking & Analysis: Monitor phishing test results to measure effectiveness.
• Scalability: Ensure templates can be reused across different departments.

By regularly updating phishing templates, organizations can simulate the latest attack trends and enhance employee readiness.

Modifying and Customizing Phishing Templates

A well-designed phishing template should be adaptable for different scenarios. Using a phishing simulator, organizations can:

• Edit existing templates to align with emerging threats.
• Customize emails with company logos, sender details, and realistic language.
• Duplicate templates for A/B testing to compare different phishing strategies.

Saving these modified templates ensures consistency across security awareness training campaigns, allowing companies to fine-tune their phishing simulations for better results.

Managing the Phishing Email Template List

Organizations using a phishing simulator can efficiently handle phishing templates by accessing a centralized template list. Within this list, security teams can:

• Edit and customize templates to match evolving attack strategies.
• Duplicate templates to create variations for different employee groups.
• Save changes to maintain consistency in phishing simulations.

This structured approach ensures that phishing simulations remain dynamic, effectively preparing employees to recognize and respond to phishing attacks.

Tracking Phishing Simulation Results

Once a phishing campaign is deployed, the Email Threat Simulator Module generates detailed reports, including:

• Number of phishing emails sent.
• How many bypassed security filters.
• Click rates and user interactions with malicious links.

This data allows organizations to assess employee vulnerability and adjust their security awareness training strategies accordingly.

Adding a New Phishing Email Template

Organizations can create new phishing templates using .eml files, which allow for realistic email simulations. The process involves:

• Selecting a sample email that mimics real phishing threats.
• Saving the email in .eml format for easy template creation.
• Uploading the template to the phishing simulation platform.

Different email clients may have specific requirements, so verifying compatibility before deployment is crucial.

Enhancing Security Awareness Through Phishing Simulations

Phishing remains one of the most prevalent cybersecurity threats, with attackers constantly refining their tactics. Security awareness training is critical in combating these evolving threats. Since employees are the most targeted entry points, training them on how to identify and respond to phishing attempts can prevent costly data breaches.

Keepnet’s Phishing Simulator enables organizations to conduct realistic phishing simulations by sending benign phishing emails to employees. These emails look authentic but are completely harmless, allowing organizations to:

• Test employee responses in real-world scenarios.
• Identify high-risk users who frequently fall for phishing attempts.
• Measure security awareness improvement over time.

With customizable phishing templates, businesses can strengthen their cybersecurity defenses and proactively protect against cyber threats.

Please read our guide to learn how to run Phishing Simulations step by step for more information.

Editor's Note: This article was updated on February 14, 2025.