Do your security controls work?

Do your security controls work? How Email Threat Simulator Helps Validate Your Defenses

In 2024, phishing remains the dominant entry point for data breaches, with 91% of security violations caused by spear-phishing attacks. Given that the average time to detect a breach is 146 days and the costs of data breaches hover around $4 million, security teams need more than just investment—they need validation of whether their defenses are actually working.

But how can you tell if your security investments are functioning properly? Are your email defenses stopping targeted attacks? That’s where the Email Threat Simulator (ETS) from Keepnet comes in. This patent-pending product empowers businesses to test their email security controls against real-world attack vectors—even ones that haven’t been seen before.

Why security controls may not be enough?

Organizations spend considerable sums on security controls, but investment alone doesn’t guarantee protection. Misconfigurations, outdated security policies, and ineffective tools can leave dangerous gaps in your defenses.

Many systems struggle to catch targeted threats like spear-phishing or ransomware, leading to disastrous breaches. Even with proper security investments, the lack of regular testing leaves CISOs and IT heads questioning: "Are our security controls truly effective?"

Validating your security investments with the Email Threat Simulator

Keepnet’s Email Threat Simulator helps your business assess whether your security operations plan is working. The platform delivers real phishing attacks to your secure email inbox and reports if these threats successfully penetrate your defenses.

In addition to phishing attacks, ETS simulates a broad spectrum of email threats—from malicious attachments to browser exploits. This provides a comprehensive picture of your vulnerabilities and helps you prioritize remediation efforts. With ETS, security leaders can definitively prove which investments are paying off—and where there are critical gaps.

Key features of Email Threat Simulator:

• Real Attack Vectors: ETS uses genuine attack vectors, not hypothetical scenarios, allowing you to test your email defenses with the same threats used by malicious actors.
• Misconfiguration Testing: Unlike other platforms, ETS identifies misconfigurations in your security tools that may leave you exposed to attacks.
• Integrated Threat Intelligence: The simulator integrates with cyber threat intelligence services, providing real-time reporting on attacks and incursions.
• Vulnerability Scanner: ETS scans your email domain for known vulnerabilities and integrates with scanning tools like Nessus and Nexpose, providing layered insight into your security posture.

To put it simply, ETS can determine if your email security systems can handle known and emerging threats. For example, if your team hasn't yet addressed the rise of QR code phishing or quishing (as highlighted in our QR code phishing trends analysis), ETS will flag that as a vulnerability.

Email Threat Simulator’s unique advantages over traditional tools

While other cybersecurity simulation platforms may focus on testing firewalls or network traffic, ETS focuses specifically on email threats, which are often the first line of attack in major breaches.

One standout feature is its domain squatting detection capabilities. Attackers frequently set up domains that look similar to your business’s domain to execute phishing attacks. ETS can detect and alert you to such domains before they can be used to target your organization.

Full integration with corporate networks

Many organizations have shut down POP3 and IMAP services, but ETS offers full integration with Outlook Web Access, ensuring your organization’s email testing is secure and comprehensive.

How ETS fits into your larger cybersecurity strategy

The threats posed by ransomware, misconfigured systems, and malicious extensions are constantly evolving. ETS not only tests for phishing but also simulates these other types of threats. For instance, the product includes attack vectors similar to the behaviors found in recent Petya ransomware attacks, ensuring your systems are prepared.

Moreover, ETS integrates seamlessly with tools like Metasploit and third-party services, giving you full visibility into your email system’s vulnerability to malware, ransomware, and browser exploits.

As ransomware attacks continue to rise and phishing tactics become more sophisticated, your organization needs more than a reactive defense. Regularly using ETS helps you stay ahead of emerging threats by validating and reinforcing your email security controls.

ETS workflow: Testing your system, step by step

Here’s a breakdown of how ETS works:

1. Set up a test email account: You’ll configure an email address that will be used as the recipient of test phishing emails.
2. Send real-world attacks: ETS sends actual phishing and malware-laden attachments to this test email, mimicking the kinds of threats your organization faces daily.
3. Analyze the results: ETS will check if the attacks reached the inbox and if the email security tools detected and blocked them. The system will also highlight configuration flaws and misconfigurations that need to be addressed.
4. Get detailed reporting: ETS provides a scorecard based on your organization's performance in blocking these simulated threats, from A to F. The results are broken down by phishing score, vulnerability score, and cyber threat intelligence (CTI) score, offering a full picture of your security posture.

The insights ETS provides help your IT security team defend the choices made in your security operations strategy and prioritize critical updates.

Boost your security awareness with Keepnet

Email threats aren't going away—they're evolving. The stakes are too high to rely solely on out-of-the-box email security solutions without validating their effectiveness. With ETS, you can consistently test, evaluate, and improve your organization's defenses.

To truly safeguard against email attacks, it’s essential to combine threat simulation tools like ETS with ongoing security awareness training. Keepnet offers a security awareness educator that works hand-in-hand with ETS to train employees, helping them recognize phishing attempts and minimize human risk.

Train your users to boost awareness by up to 90%, and use Keepnet’s Email Threat Simulator to ensure your security investments are paying off. Leverage the power of simulation to minimize your exposure to targeted phishing, ransomware, and other email-based threats.

Sign up for your free trial today at Keepnet, and make sure your security defenses are as strong as you think.

This blog post was updated in October 2024.