executing-phishing-simulation-campaign

name	executing-phishing-simulation-campaign
description	Executes authorized phishing simulation campaigns to assess an organization's susceptibility to email-based social engineering attacks. The tester designs realistic phishing scenarios, builds credential harvesting infrastructure, sends targeted phishing emails, and tracks open rates, click-through rates, and credential submission rates to measure human security awareness. Activates for requests involving phishing simulation, social engineering assessment, email security testing, or security awareness measurement.
domain	cybersecurity
subdomain	penetration-testing
tags	["phishing-simulation","social-engineering","GoPhish","email-security","security-awareness"]
version	1.0.0
author	mahipal
license	Apache-2.0

Executing Phishing Simulation Campaign

When to Use

• Measuring employee susceptibility to phishing attacks as part of a security awareness program
• Testing the effectiveness of email security controls (secure email gateway, DMARC, SPF, DKIM)
• Conducting the social engineering component of a red team exercise to gain initial access
• Establishing a baseline for phishing susceptibility before deploying security awareness training
• Validating that incident response procedures work when employees report suspicious emails

Do not use without explicit written authorization from the organization's leadership, for actual credential theft beyond the authorized scope, for targeting individuals personally rather than professionally, or for sending phishing emails that could cause psychological harm or legal liability.

Prerequisites

• Written authorization from executive leadership specifying the campaign scope, target groups, and escalation procedures
• Coordination with the IT/security team to whitelist the sending infrastructure (or test whether it bypasses controls, depending on scope)
• GoPhish or equivalent phishing platform configured with a sending domain, SMTP relay, and landing page infrastructure
• Phishing domain registered and configured with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to maximize deliverability
• Employee email list from HR, organized by department for targeted campaigns
• Incident response team briefed on the campaign timeline and escalation procedures

Workflow

Step 1: Campaign Planning and Pretext Development

Design realistic phishing scenarios based on threats relevant to the target organization:

• Pretext selection: Choose scenarios that mirror real-world attacks:
  • IT support: Password expiration notice requiring immediate action
  • HR department: Benefits enrollment, policy acknowledgment, W-2/tax document
  • Executive impersonation: Urgent request from CEO/CFO to review a document
  • Vendor/supplier: Invoice requiring review, delivery notification
  • Cloud services: Microsoft 365 shared document, Google Drive access, Zoom meeting invitation
• Target segmentation: Divide employees into groups by department, role, or access level. High-value targets (finance, IT admin, executives) may receive more sophisticated pretexts.
• Timing: Schedule sends during business hours, preferably Tuesday-Thursday when email engagement is highest. Avoid holidays, mass layoff periods, or other sensitive times.
• Success metrics: Define what constitutes campaign success: email open rate, link click rate, credential submission rate, report rate (employees who report the phish to IT)