Suppose an employee receives an urgent e-mail from “Microsoft” asking him to confirm his password. The logo is correct, the tone is professional, and the link looks trustworthy. He clicks. Fortunately, it was not a real attack, but a phishing simulation. Because had it been real, a hacker would have had access to your corporate network at that moment.
Belgian organizations are attacked an average of 1,925 times a week, and phishing remains the most common method of entry. This is no coincidence. Criminals know that technology is increasingly secure, so they are aiming their arrows at the human behind the screen. A phishing simulation maps out exactly how vulnerable your organization is to that approach, without the risks of a real attack.
What exactly is a phishing simulation?
A phishing simulation is a controlled test in which your employees receive fake phishing emails that are indistinguishable from real attacks. The goal is not to catch people, but to gauge how alert your team is and where the risks are.
The simulation mimics the techniques used by real attackers: familiar logos, forged senders, urgent language and links to counterfeit login pages. The difference? Everything happens in a secure environment. No real data is stored, and those who click are immediately presented with a teaching moment.
Specifically, a phishing simulation measures three things:
- Click rate: the percentage of employees who click on the link in the fake email
- Submission rate: the percentage that effectively fills in data on the counterfeit page
- Reporting rate: the percentage reporting the suspicious mail to IT or the security team
The latter in particular is crucial. An organization where employees actively report suspicious emails responds much more quickly to real attacks.
How does a phishing simulation work in practice?
A professional phishing simulation is not a one-time action, but a structured process. That trajectory usually looks like this:
Preparation and intake.
Together with your IT team or security partner, determine which scenarios are most relevant to your organization. A manufacturing company gets different simulations than a law firm or a software company. The scenarios are tailored to the daily reality of your employees: think fake invoices, fake messages from suppliers, or a so-called email from the CEO.
The baseline measurement.
The initial simulation is often sent unannounced to the entire organization or to specific departments. This gives an honest picture of the current situation. In practice, we see that in an initial test, 20 to 50% of the employees click. That figure seems high, but it is a starting point, not a final judgment.
Analysis and reporting.
After the simulation, you will receive a detailed report, at the organizational and departmental level. Not at the person level, because it’s about collective learning, not reckoning. The report shows which departments are more vulnerable and which scenarios had the most impact.
Training and follow-up.
Based on the results, targeted awareness training follows. Employees who clicked are given explanations of what they missed. Then new simulations are sent periodically, with varying degrees of difficulty and themes. This keeps the topic alive without making it a burden.
Evaluation and adjustment.
After several rounds, compare results. Organizations that simulate structurally see their click rate drop to less than 5% within a year. That’s a measurable improvement in your digital resilience.
Why do employees fall into the trap?
The power of phishing is not in technical complexity, but in psychology. Attackers capitalize on three human reflexes that are particularly effective in busy work environments:
Urgency.
“Your account will be locked within 24 hours” or “This invoice must be paid today.” Time pressure forces people to make quick decisions without thinking.
Authority.
An email that appears to come from the CEO, the HR director or the IRS. The natural tendency to follow requests from higher-ups makes this particularly effective.
Curiosity.
Messages about salary changes, new terms of employment or a package delivery. The need for information wins out over caution.
AI is also making these attacks increasingly convincing. Phishing emails today are written flawlessly in perfect Dutch, personalized based on public company information, and sent at scale. Recognizing misspellings as warning signals simply doesn’t work anymore. For this very reason, the focus of phishing simulations is shifting to recognizing anomalous processes and unusual requests, regardless of how convincingly the email is written.
Specifically, what does a phishing simulation provide?
The investment in a phishing simulation translates into tangible results:
Measurable risk reduction.
You get to see in black and white how vulnerable your organization is and how that vulnerability evolves after successive rounds. Thus, security awareness becomes a KPI instead of a gut feeling.
A stronger human firewall.
Employees who are regularly simulated handle suspicious messages differently. They click less, but more importantly, they report more. That willingness to report is the real win because it allows your IT team to detect real attacks early.
Compliance and certification.
Under NIS2 and the GDPR, you must demonstrate that you are structurally working on security awareness. Phishing simulations provide the data and reporting auditors need for certifications such as ISO 27001 and the CyberFundamentals framework.
Protecting against financial damage.
The average cost of a data breach is about $4.8 million worldwide. For a Flemish SME, the direct cost may be lower, but the impact on operational continuity, customer confidence and reputation can be just as devastating.
Tailoring phishing simulations to your industry
Not every organization faces the same risks. An effective phishing simulation takes into account the specific context of your business:
Manufacturing and Industry.
Focus on Business Email Compromise (BEC) where vendor data is falsified. In a manufacturing environment, a wrong click can not only compromise data but also affect operational systems.
Professional services.
Law firms, accountants and consulting firms are targets for attacks on confidential client files. Here, the trusting relationship with the client is key.
Software and Technology.
Credential harvesting via replicated developer platforms and CI/CD tools. Whoever gets access to your code repository has access to everything.
The better the simulation matches your employees’ daily reality, the greater the learning effect.
Frequently asked questions about phishing simulations
Isn’t a phishing simulation bad for workplace confidence?
No, if done correctly. Professional simulations report at the organizational and departmental level, not the individual level. The goal is collective learning, not individual punishment. By framing the test as an investment in the team, you actually strengthen support.
How often should you run a phishing simulation?
One-time testing provides a snapshot, but no lasting effect. A structural program with three to four simulations per year, combined with awareness training, delivers the best results. That way you keep the subject top-of-mind without getting bored.
Does a phishing simulation also work for small teams?
Absolutely. Especially in smaller organizations, the impact of a successful phishing attack is relatively greater. Employees of companies with fewer than 100 employees are also targeted more often, on average, than employees of large companies.
What if the baseline results are disappointing?
That is precisely the value of the test. A high click rate in the first simulation is normal and no reason to panic. It gives you an honest starting point to make targeted improvements. Organizations that simulate structurally see those numbers drop sharply within a few months.
Does a phishing simulation count for NIS2 compliance?
Phishing simulations are not an explicit NIS2 requirement, but they do support obligations around security awareness and risk management. The reports serve as demonstrable proof that you are structurally investing in the resilience of your employees.
Can a phishing simulation be subsidized through the SME portfolio?
Yes. As an approved VLAIO service provider, phishing simulations and associated awareness training are eligible for the SME portfolio. Small businesses receive up to 45% subsidy, medium-sized businesses up to 35%.
Your employees as the first line of defense
A phishing simulation is not an end in itself, but the beginning of a structural approach. By regular testing, targeted training and measuring results, you build an organization where employees are not the weakest link, but the first line of defense.
At Cyberplan, we run phishing simulations tailored to the specific context of your business. Our team of ethical hackers designs scenarios based on the tactics we encounter daily during pen tests and audits. We translate the results into understandable reports with concrete areas for improvement, not thick technical reports gathering dust.
Want to know how alert your team really is? Book a free consultation and find out how a phishing simulation makes your company more resilient. Via the KMO-portefeuille you may be eligible for up to 45% subsidy on the entire course.
