Are Phishing Simulations Like Real Phishing Attacks?

Now don't get me wrong; I get the idea behind phishing simulations. The theory's simple: keep swinging at enough pitches, and sooner or later, you'll recognize the curveballs. You're supposed to get sharper, right? But here's the thing—at some point, you have to ask, are phishing simulations a scam? Because the reality is a lot less like stepping up to bat and a lot more like swinging at air, hoping to magically "learn" security through endless reps.

The reality check? While people are practicing for yesterday's pitch, cybercriminals are throwing high-speed split-fingers no one's ready for.

In the real world, CISOs aren't exactly in a position to offer anything even close to a realistic phishing experience. They're handcuffed by internal policies, HR fears, and concerns over hurting people's feelings. So instead of simulating the kind of advanced attacks that hackers are actually throwing at us, what do we get? The equivalent of hitting a ball off a tee. Not exactly useful when attackers are slinging 100 mph fastballs packed with ransomware.

Seriously, does anyone think tee-ball practice is preparing people for the big leagues? This isn't even a simulation—it's more like a participation trophy disguised as "training."

And then, there are the companies that crank it up a notch with the whole punishment aspect. "Missed the phishing email? Guess what, Janet, you're taking a lap. Oh, and by the way, you missed three more, so we're cutting you from the team. Hope you're ready for the unemployment line!"

What's the game plan here? Shame people into better performance? I'm sure nothing builds workplace morale like embarrassing folks in front of their peers because they didn't catch a cleverly disguised phishing email. Let's face it: this approach is about as effective as giving employees electric shocks for locking themselves out of their accounts.

If this is your company's big cybersecurity play, you might want to rethink the strategy. Fear and punishment are terrible motivators. If anything, they make people even more paranoid and less likely to engage with any meaningful training.

At PhishCloud, we had a different idea. See, we didn't set out to turn every employee into a cybersecurity expert. That's just unrealistic. What we wanted to do was give people the tools they need so that they can be awesome at their jobs—whether that's in marketing, HR, or sales—and still be able to spot phishing attacks. Because, let's face it, not everyone dreams of spending their days dissecting suspicious emails like it's the DaVinci Code.

Our platform doesn't make cybersecurity a second full-time job for your staff. Instead, it uses intelligent, real-time tools that empower users to catch threats while they stay focused on what they actually get paid to do. You don't need to swing at every pitch when you know how to identify the real threats—without the need for constant "practice" or the looming threat of punishment.

The real goal of phishing protection isn't to scare employees into compliance or magically turn them into cybersecurity experts. It's about giving them the tools and know-how to spot a real threat when it's staring them down. So instead of asking, are phishing simulations a scam?, let's focus on arming people with intuitive, real-world solutions that respect their time, intelligence, and, frankly, dignity.

This Cybersecurity Month, let's quit pretending people are ready for high-speed fastballs after a few rounds of tee-ball. It's time for smarter, more effective defenses that put actual protection—not punishment—at the forefront.