How to run voice phishing simulation for your organization

Voice phishing, or vishing, has become a growing threat to organizations in recent years. As hackers evolve, they are finding creative ways to exploit human vulnerabilities through phone calls, tricking employees into divulging sensitive information. Running a voice phishing simulation is an effective way to test your company's defenses and prepare your team for real-life vishing attempts.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to run an effective voice phishing simulation, the key benefits, and why this type of training is important for protecting your business from vishing attacks.

What is a voice phishing simulation?

A voice phishing simulation is a controlled and safe training exercise where simulated vishing attacks are conducted to test how employees respond to social engineering attempts over the phone.

The purpose of the simulation is to identify weaknesses in your organization’s defenses, gauge employee awareness, and improve readiness to handle real attacks.

Watch the video below as Keepnet shares a real-life vishing scam where a fake Amazon call led to a major financial loss through social engineering.

Why are voice phishing simulations important?

Vishing (voice phishing) preys on human trust, with attackers pretending to be trusted figures—like IT support or senior executives—to trick employees into sharing sensitive information. The Keepnet 2024 Vishing Response Report found that 70% of organizations have been targeted by vishing, resulting in an average yearly loss of $14 million.

Running vishing simulations helps your company:

• Assess employee awareness of social engineering tactics, revealing who might be more vulnerable to manipulation.
• Reinforce training on how to handle suspicious or unexpected phone calls, ensuring staff stay alert in real situations.
• Identify security gaps that criminals could exploit, giving you a chance to fix them before a breach occurs.
• Prepare employees for real-world vishing attempts, reducing the chances of costly mistakes under pressure.

Incorporating vishing simulations into your security awareness program strengthens your overall defense, equipping your team to recognize and avoid evolving cyber threats.

Steps to run a voice phishing simulation

Running an effective vishing simulation requires careful planning and execution. Below are the key steps to follow, with insights into how tools like the Keepnet Vishing Simulator can streamline the process and help you achieve better results.

Step 1: Define objectives and scope

The first step in a successful vishing simulation is to define clear objectives. Ask yourself:

• Do you want to test employees' ability to recognize and handle phishing calls?
• Are you focused on targeting specific departments that are more prone to attacks, like finance or HR?
• Will you measure response times and employee behaviors during the simulation?

The Keepnet Vishing Simulator makes it easy to set specific objectives by allowing you to create custom campaigns. You can choose target groups, decide when to launch the simulation, and tailor the test to specific departments or the entire organization. This flexibility ensures the simulation meets your precise goals.

Step 2: Develop realistic vishing scenarios

The success of any vishing simulation depends on the realism of the scenarios. Use scenarios that closely reflect your industry and the everyday roles of your employees. Common vishing tactics include:

• Tech support scams, where attackers pose as IT staff asking for access to systems.
• CEO fraud, where criminals impersonate executives to request sensitive data.
• Financial scams, where attackers claim to be vendors asking for payment details.

With the Keepnet Vishing Simulator, you can easily create realistic and relevant vishing scenarios. The tool offers pre-designed templates for common phishing techniques, and you can also customize scenarios to fit the unique threats facing your organization, such as callback phishing. This level of customization makes the simulation more immersive and effective.

Step 3: Choose the right tools and technology

Executing a smooth vishing simulation requires the right tools to manage and analyze the process. The Keepnet Vishing Simulator provides everything you need to run and monitor your campaign. It allows you to:

• Automate the calling process, saving you time and effort.
• Track responses in real time, so you know exactly how employees react to phishing calls.
• Analyze detailed reports that highlight employee performance and areas of improvement.

The platform’s Campaign Manager enables you to schedule, customize, and track your vishing simulations, making it easy to manage every step of the process—from launching the campaign to reviewing the results.

Step 4: Execute the vishing test

Once your objectives and scenarios are in place, it’s time to run the simulation. Using the Keepnet Vishing Simulator, you can distribute calls to employees during regular business hours, ensuring that the test feels as authentic as possible.

During the simulation, monitor key responses:

• Did employees share sensitive information like passwords or financial details?
• Did they ask for caller verification or escalate the call to a supervisor?
• Were they able to identify the call as suspicious?

The Keepnet Vishing Simulator tracks these interactions in real-time, allowing you to assess employee reactions immediately. You can also schedule calls over several days, adding to the realism without overwhelming staff.

Step 5: Measure and analyze the voice phishing test results

After the simulation, it’s critical to measure and analyze the results to understand where improvements are needed. Key metrics include:

• Percentage of employees who fell for the attack.
• Types of information revealed, such as login credentials or sensitive data.
• Departmental performance: Did certain departments perform worse than others?

The Keepnet Vishing Simulator offers detailed reports that break down employee responses by department, team, or individual. These insights help you identify weaknesses and track performance against your key objectives. You can also compare results across multiple campaigns to spot trends or recurring issues.

Step 6: Provide immediate feedback and follow-up vishing awareness training

Once the simulation is complete, provide feedback to employees, focusing on learning and improvement. Highlight what went well and areas where further training is needed.

For example, if employees struggled to verify the caller’s identity, consider scheduling a refresher on authentication protocols. The Keepnet Vishing Simulator offers detailed data that helps you tailor follow-up vishing awareness training to address the specific gaps uncovered during the vishing simulation test. This ensures your employees are better equipped to handle real-world phishing threats in the future.

Check out the video below to see how you can use the Keepnet Voice Phishing Simulator to train your employees and strengthen your defense against voice phishing attacks.

Key benefits of voice phishing simulations

Vishing simulations offer businesses valuable advantages in strengthening their cybersecurity defenses. Here are the key benefits:

• Enhanced readiness: Employees are more prepared to handle real vishing attempts after practicing in a safe, controlled environment.
• Increased awareness: Regular simulations keep employees alert to the evolving tactics attackers use and reinforce essential security practices.
• Stronger security posture: Identifying and addressing human vulnerabilities helps reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks.

Best practices for running vishing simulations

To get the most out of your vishing simulation, follow these best practices:

• Run simulations regularly: Threat actors are constantly evolving their techniques, so periodic simulations keep employees sharp.
• Vary scenarios: Use different vishing scenarios each time to prevent employees from becoming too familiar with a specific type of attack.
• Simulate real-life urgency: Scammers often create a sense of urgency to manipulate victims. Incorporating urgent scenarios into your simulation will make the test more realistic.
• Monitor for compliance: Ensure employees follow your organization’s security protocols during the simulation. If gaps are identified, create remediation plans.

Protect your organization with Keepnet Vishing Simulator

Training employees to recognize and respond to vishing attacks is important in 2024. As attackers grow more sophisticated, your team must be equipped to handle complex social engineering schemes.

Running realistic vishing simulations is one of the best ways to prepare your workforce. With the Keepnet Vishing Simulator, employees can safely practice identifying phishing calls, significantly reducing the risk of falling for real attacks. Targeted simulations can boost awareness by up to 90%, ensuring employees know exactly how to handle suspicious calls.

Ready to see it in action? Try our free demo and discover how vishing simulations can strengthen your organization’s defenses against this rising threat.