What is Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS)?

Email breaches are a rising and severe risk in today's digital world. Cybercriminals, armed with advanced techniques, are threatening the security of email communications across all sectors, from small and medium businesses (SMBs) to large enterprises, government agencies, and hospitals. These attacks target everyone, from C-level executives to IT security personnel. It's estimated that these breaches have caused losses of $10.5 trillion annually, affecting nearly 70% of organizations worldwide. Therefore, we must focus on reducing these threats and preparing for future ones.

Breach and attack simulation, encompassing techniques like penetration testing and red teaming, is essential for identifying vulnerabilities within organizational systems. However, if not executed properly, these simulations can introduce significant cybersecurity risks, leading to financial loss, operational disruptions, and reputational damage.

• In 2020, the FBI received nearly 2,500 ransomware complaints, with reported losses exceeding $29 million.
• In July 2024, a faulty update from CrowdStrike's security software affected 8.5 million Microsoft Windows devices, causing widespread operational disruptions, including flight cancellations and delays in surgeries.
• In 2017, the Austrian aerospace firm FACC AG was defrauded of €42 million through a cyber attack, leading to the dismissal of both the CFO and CEO and causing significant reputational harm.

These examples underscore the critical importance of conducting breach and attack simulations with meticulous planning and execution to mitigate potential risks.

What Is Breach and Attack Simulation?

BAS platforms automatically launch hundreds (or thousands) of mapped attack techniques—covering the full kill-chain—to measure whether your security controls detect, block, and log each step. Results surface precise control gaps and recommended fixes, usually mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK framework for clarity.

Early BAS tools focused on network exploits; modern offerings cover email, endpoint, identity, cloud, and even OT environments, giving security teams “purple-team” power on demand. 

The Impact of Email Attacks

In an increasingly interconnected world, email remains the lifeblood of corporate communication. On a broader scale, the impact of email attacks is felt globally. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, cybercrime, driven mainly by phishing and other email-based attacks, will cost the world 13.82 trillion U.S. dollars by 2028. These costs are direct financial losses due to theft, operational disruptions, reputational damage, and recovery efforts.

A startling statistic reveals that 82% of soft threats bypass secure gateway solutions. This demonstrates a glaring issue within traditional security architectures, as they cannot counter advanced threats that evade detection. As cybercriminals continue to evolve, a robust defense strategy is critical.

This WannaCry ransomware attack was initially spread through phishing emails, affecting over 200,000 computers across 150 countries. The economic damage caused by WannaCry was estimated at $4 billion.

Another real-world instance that emphasizes the impact of email attacks is the attack on Maersk, the world's largest shipping company. In 2017, the NotPetya malware spread through an infected email attachment, taking down Maersk's IT infrastructure. The company had to reinstall an incredible 45,000 PCs, 4,000 servers, and 2,500 applications. The cost to Maersk was a staggering $300 million in lost revenues.

These cases underline that the risks associated with email threats extend far beyond just financial loss. Companies often suffer long-lasting reputational damage and loss of customer trust, which can be much more devastating and brutal to recover from than the immediate financial implications.

The 'Predict, Prevent, Protect' Approach as the Solution

The continuous email threats call for an agile and comprehensive solution to anticipate, stop, and mitigate potential attacks. The "Predict, Prevent, Protect" strategy, built on three critical pillars, not only presents a robust defense framework but also demonstrates it can elevate your cybersecurity strategy:

Predict:

In the predictive stage, the power of threat intelligence, data analysis, and predictive modeling comes into play. The aim is to anticipate potential email threats, which equips security teams to adapt and strengthen their defenses proactively. In this context, attack simulations serve as a valuable tool, replicating the tactics of potential threats in a controlled environment to identify vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them.

Prevent:

The next crucial step is prevention. Implementing proactive measures such as regular audits and deploying advanced security controls can stop attacks, preventing extensive damage. Dealing with a breach can be harmful to your reputation. Attack simulations offer a unique preventative advantage by constantly testing your security measures against potential threats.

Protect:

The final pillar is protection, which becomes vital when some attacks penetrate your preventative measures. By deploying robust defenses, you can safeguard your systems and data, minimizing the impact of a successful attack and accelerating the recovery process. Here again, the insights gained from attack simulations enable organizations to reinforce their protection strategies, ensuring the best possible response to any successful threat.

When integrated seamlessly, these three stages form a comprehensive defense strategy. This approach empowers organizations to secure their digital assets effectively, preserving their operational integrity and reputation. The addition of attack simulations to this framework enhances its efficacy, enabling organizations to continuously test, learn from, and adapt their defenses, making them more robust and resilient against evolving threats.

Therefore, you invest wisely by incorporating breach and attack simulations and adopting this "Predict, Prevent, Protect" strategy. This approach boosts your organization's cybersecurity posture and prepares it for the ever-changing landscape of cyber threats.

Why BAS Is Mission-Critical in 2025

• Exploding market & executive interest. Analysts project the global BAS market will climb from roughly USD 0.73 billion in 2024 to USD 2.4 billion by 2029 (27 % CAGR).† 
• Budget efficiency. Simulated attacks cost far less than red-team engagements and run daily, not yearly.
• Data-driven risk KPIs. Boards no longer accept generic “green” dashboards. BAS transforms security into measurable, verifiable metrics.
• Regulatory alignment. New EU NIS2 and DORA directives spotlight “continuous control validation”—language lifted straight from BAS playbooks.

Other researchers peg the market even higher (USD 3.54 billion by 2029 at 39.6 % CAGR). 

How BAS Works: From MITRE ATT&CK to Automated Purple Teaming

Modern tools embed AI to chain techniques dynamically, imitating human adversaries and uncovering complex attack paths no static script would reveal. 

1. Technique Library – Curated, regularly updated exploit & payload catalog mapped to ATT&CK.
2. Safe Execution Engine – Runs attacks in production (or sandbox) without harming data.
3. Sensors & Agents – Collect control responses (SIEM alerts, EDR blocks, log entries).
4. Gap Analysis – Compares expected vs. actual outcomes; flags mis-configurations.
5. Remediation Guidance – Platform-generated “fix recipes” plus retest button.

In order to mimic human opponents and identify intricate assault paths that a static script would not be able to, modern tools integrate AI to chain approaches dynamically.

Benefits of Using Breach and Attack Simulation

Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) isn’t just another security tool—it’s a systematic way to prove that your layered defenses work every single day, not just on paper. By safely emulating the latest ransomware attacks, credential-phishing campaigns, and stealthy lateral-movement tactics, BAS turns what was once an annual penetration test into a continuous security validation engine. The insights gleaned aren’t theoretical; they map directly to board-level KPIs, regulatory checklists, and day-to-day SOC workflows.

In the sections below, you’ll discover the four pillars—validation, compliance, drift detection, and team enablement—that make BAS an indispensable component of any modern cybersecurity strategy.

Continuous Security Validation

BAS lets you pressure-test every layer of your stack—network, endpoint, identity, and cloud—without waiting for an annual pentest. Automated attack campaigns run nightly or on-demand, confirming that new patches, policy tweaks, and rule-set updates actually stop today’s tactics instead of last year’s. The result is a living security scorecard your C-suite can track in real time.

Compliance & Audit Readiness

Whether you’re aiming for ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, or the upcoming EU DORA mandates, auditors now expect hard proof that your controls fire as designed. BAS generates export-ready evidence—complete with MITRE ATT&CK mapping and time-stamped logs—cutting evidence-collection cycles from weeks to minutes and slashing external audit costs.

Control-Drift Detection

Security configurations decay faster than you think. A single firewall change, a silent EDR policy downgrade, or a forgotten WAF exception can open the door to attackers. By continuously replaying real-world exploits, BAS flags “drift” moments the moment they appear, so your team can remediate before threat actors even notice.

Security-Team Enablement

Simulated breaches create a safe, data-rich training loop. Blue teams sharpen detection skills on authentic alerts, red teams automate repetitive tasks to focus on creativity, and purple teams share a common language for risk. This collective muscle memory speeds mean-time-to-detect (MTTD) and mean-time-to-respond (MTTR), turning individual specialists into a unified cyber-defense force.

How to Choose the Right BAS Platform

Picking a Breach & Attack Simulation solution is more than ticking boxes on a feature matrix—it’s aligning the tool’s capabilities with your security maturity, tech stack, and business goals. Use the factors below as a practical due-diligence checklist when you’re short-listing vendors or building an RFP.

1. MITRE ATT&CK Coverage

Look for a platform that maps every simulated technique to the latest MITRE ATT&CK framework across endpoints, networks, identity, and cloud workloads. The broader (and more frequently updated) the library, the deeper your insights into real-world threats and defensive gaps. Bonus points if the vendor publishes changelogs whenever new TTPs drop.

2. Deployment Model

Decide whether SaaS, on-prem, agentless, or hybrid makes sense for your compliance constraints and network architecture:

• SaaS: Fastest time-to-value, but ensure data residency and encryption meet regulatory standards.
• On-Prem: Greater control for highly regulated sectors—factor in hardware and maintenance costs.
• Agentless/Hybrid: Minimizes endpoint overhead while covering air-gapped or sensitive segments.

3. Integration Ecosystem

A BAS tool is only as good as its connectivity to your existing SIEM, EDR, SOAR, ticketing, and DevSecOps pipelines. Native APIs, syslog support, and webhook triggers let you automate alert triage, open Jira/ServiceNow tickets, or even roll back misconfigurations through IaC pull requests—turning simulated threats into closed-loop remediation workflows.

4. Reporting Fidelity

You’ll need executive-ready dashboards for the boardroom and granular logs for your analysts. Prioritize solutions that provide:

• Heat maps and risk scores that non-technical stakeholders can grasp.
• Drill-down timelines showing each attack step, detection point, and failed control.
• One-click export to PDF, CSV, or JSON for audits and KPI tracking.

5. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Beyond licenses, calculate consulting fees, required headcount, and infrastructure overhead. Ask vendors to model three-year TCO—including future attack-pack subscriptions, premium support tiers, and any hidden “per-test” charges.

6. Scalability & Performance

As your environment grows, your BAS engine should scale horizontally—supporting thousands of concurrent attack paths without slowing the SOC. Test vendor claims with a proof of concept that mirrors your production asset count and traffic levels.

7. Freshness of Attack Library

Threats evolve weekly; so should your BAS content. Evaluate how quickly the vendor adds emerging techniques like MFA-prompt bombing, SaaS token hijacking, or AI-generated phishing. Look for a cadence of monthly (or faster) updates.

8. Usability & Automation

A steep learning curve kills adoption. Favor platforms with drag-and-drop scenario builders, guided wizards, and RESTful APIs so junior analysts can launch tests while senior engineers script complex campaigns.

9. Vendor Support & Community

Round-the-clock technical assistance, detailed KB articles, and an active user community accelerate trouble-shooting and foster best-practice sharing—critical when your team is juggling multiple security projects.

What are Five Proven Steps to BAS Success

Getting the most out of a Breach & Attack Simulation program requires more than turning the tool on and firing off random tests. Follow this streamlined, field-tested roadmap to maximise ROI and ensure every simulated attack translates into measurable risk reduction.

1. Establish a Baseline

Launch a limited “day-zero” campaign against a representative slice of your estate—core servers, a handful of workstations, and one cloud account. The goal is to identify your current detection and response gaps and generate a benchmark security score you’ll improve upon.

2. Align Stakeholders

Present initial findings to IT operations, risk, and C-suite leaders. Translate technical gaps into business-impact language (e.g., “Ransomware could halt fulfilment in 3 hours”). Secure budget, assign owners for each control family, and agree on target KPIs such as mean-time-to-remediate (MTTR) or control coverage percentages.

3. Pilot, Tune, and Expand

Start small—focus on high-value assets or crown-jewel workflows. Adjust test windows to avoid production peaks, whitelist essential services, and fine-tune alert thresholds so SOC analysts aren’t buried in noise. Once stable, scale campaigns to additional networks, SaaS apps, and OT segments.

4. Automate & Integrate

Connect BAS outputs to your SIEM, ticketing, and SOAR platforms via API or webhooks. This turns every failed control into an actionable ticket without manual copy-and-paste and provides executives with live dashboards that track risk trends over time.

5. Measure, Iterate, Repeat

Treat BAS like a fitness plan, not a check-the-box project. Retest after every major patch cycle or configuration change, track MTTR for each control, and celebrate quick wins to keep momentum high. Quarterly executive reports should highlight risk reduction in plain language—“93 % decrease in lateral-movement exposure since Q1,” for example.

Table 1: What are Pitfalls to Avoid During Breach and Attack Simulations

Keepnet Email Threat Simulator: Top Breach and Attack Simulation for Protecting Secure Gateways

Keepnet’s Email Threat Simulator (ETS) is a breach and attack simulations designed for email security. ETS emulates real-world attacker tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), identifies vulnerabilities, and assesses the efficacy of your email defenses such as Sandbox, Antispam, Firewall, and other secure gateway solutions.

The ETS works by continuously testing the defenses of your secure email gateway solutions, including Office 365 and Google Workspace. It does this by sending over 700 real-world attack scenarios to a dedicated test inbox, simulating the tactics used by cybercriminals. This process allows the ETS to identify how many attacks can bypass your Secure Email Gateways (SEGs) and pinpoint any existing vulnerabilities.

Businesses can proactively improve their defenses and remediate any issues by identifying these vulnerabilities. This optimizes their technological investments and significantly enhances their overall email security posture. The ETS can boost email blocking efficiency from a mere 28% to an impressive 96%, providing businesses robust protection against email threats.

Moreover, the ETS offers features such as malicious attachment simulation, ransomware simulation, APT attack simulation, and file format exploit testing. These features allow businesses to assess their susceptibility to various types of attacks and take appropriate measures to mitigate these risks.

The ETS also provides detailed reporting, allowing businesses to monitor their email security over time. These reports include suggestions for quickly fixing identified vulnerabilities, enabling companies to continually improve their defenses and readiness against email attacks.

The Future of BAS: AI-Powered, Cloud-Native, and Attack-Surface-Aware

Industry forecasts say the Breach & Attack Simulation market will surge past USD 7 billion by 2033, and the growth drivers are easy to spot:

• AI-Generated Attack Paths – Generative AI now chains tactics on the fly, letting BAS platforms mimic human adversaries with eerie realism and uncover complex lateral-movement routes your team never considered.
• Full-Spectrum Attack-Surface Management (ASM) – Modern BAS engines plug directly into ASM feeds, automatically testing newly discovered cloud buckets, SaaS tenants, APIs, and shadow servers within minutes of detection.
• Deeper Cloud & Container Coverage – Expect out-of-the-box scenarios targeting Kubernetes, serverless functions, and identity misconfigurations—attack vectors that traditional network-centric tools ignore.
• Self-Healing Infrastructure-as-Code – Leading vendors already ship remediation playbooks that auto-generate pull requests against Terraform, Ansible, or CloudFormation files, so failed controls are fixed and re-tested before they hit production.

Bottom line: tomorrow’s BAS platforms won’t just highlight security gaps—they’ll detect new assets in real time, exploit them safely, and commit the code that closes the hole, all while feeding executive dashboards with live risk scores. Forward-thinking CISOs who embrace this convergence of AI, cloud-native coverage, and ASM will gain a continuously hardening defense posture—long before threat actors even know a gap existed.

To implement attack simulations in your cybersecurity strategy, the first step is to choose a robust solution that offers diverse simulated attack scenarios and provides comprehensive results reporting. This solution should integrate seamlessly into your security infrastructure, enabling automated testing processes and tracking improvements over time.

Remember, attack simulations aren't a one-and-done solution. The rapidly evolving nature of cyber threats demands continuous testing and constant improvements for maintaining a resilient security posture.

Watch the online demo of ETS and see how it can test your secure gateway solutions and identify vulnerabilities to help you fix them.

Next Steps

Don't leave your business vulnerable to email threats. Take the first step towards securing your email systems with Keepnet Labs' Email Threat Simulator. Sign up for our FREE 15-day trial today!

During this trial, you'll see firsthand how our solution can protect your business by identifying and addressing email vulnerabilities. You'll experience how our real-world attack simulations can test your defenses and uncover your secure email gateway's weaknesses.

Don't wait until a threat strikes. Discover how Keepnet Labs can fortify your defenses, optimize your technological investments, and safeguard your business against email threats.

Further Reading

Below you’ll find a curated set of Keepnet articles that expand on the tactics, case studies, and emerging trends touched on in this post—everything from anti-spoofing and smishing to human-risk management and SOC strategies. See the sources below for practical guidance, real-world examples, and next-step insights to strengthen your security program.

• Antispoofing 101: Protect Your Business in 2025 – Discover SPF, DKIM, and DMARC tactics to shut down domain impersonation.
• Unmasking a Sophisticated Job Scam (2025 Case Study) – See how crooks weaponize fake HR portals—and spot the red flags.
• The “Smishing Triad” Exposed – A deep dive into a China-based SMS fraud network that blends QR codes, malware, and proxy mules.
• Storytelling in Security Awareness Training – Boost retention and behavior change with narrative techniques that beat slide decks.
• Vishing vs. Phishing vs. Smishing – A side-by-side guide to the three social-engineering vectors—and how to test them.
• VSOC & GSOC: Strengthening Cybersecurity – Compare virtual and global SOC models to see which scales with your threat landscape.
• Digital Footprints Explained – Map the seven data trails employees leave behind and how attackers stitch them together.
• Human Risk Management Companies Overview – Learn why HRM is replacing legacy awareness programs and how to choose best HRM compan.
• Emerging Roles in Cybersecurity – From AI prompt-engineer to cyber-psychologist—skills you’ll be hiring for next year.

Editor's Note: This blog was updated on July 24, 2025.