Phishing simulations are outdated, and here is what works better in 2025
For years, phishing simulations have been the go-to tool to “train” or more like testing employees in spotting malicious emails. But let’s be honest:
- Clicking the wrong link doesn’t mean someone is careless.
- Not clicking doesn’t mean they’re secure.
- And employees are tired of feeling tricked.
In 2025, phishing training needs to do more than generate a click-through report. It needs to drive real behavioral change, without shame or guesswork. That’s where AwareGO’s Human Risk Assessment (HRA) comes in.
What Phishing Simulations do and what they don’t
Traditional phishing simulations test whether employees recognize a fake email under pressure. You get a simple outcome: clicked or didn’t click. That’s helpful, but simulations are reactive. They test vigilance not understanding.
✅ What they measure:
- Reflex reactions to deceptive emails
- Click rates
- Credential submissions
🚫 What they don’t measure:
- Why someone clicked
- Whether they understood what made the email suspicious
- Broader phishing knowledge (e.g., business email compromise, smishing, QR code baiting)
- Ability to transfer that knowledge across channels
Stat (Gartner 2024): 59% of employees who click on phishing links in tests say they felt “rushed or unsure,” not uninformed.
How AwareGO trains smarter with Phishing-Focused risk assessment
AwareGO’s phishing focused micro-assessments use realistic, interactive scenarios to teach users why something is dangerous and test their understanding without pressure. We don’t set traps. We create learning moments.
AwareGO’s approach:
- Short, gamified assessments (2–3 minutes)
- Realistic phishing scenarios: invoice fraud, spoofed domains, internal impersonation, etc.
- Users make decisions and get immediate feedback
- No embarrassment, no public reports — just growth
Result: Organizations using AwareGO saw a 46% improvement in phishing recognition and response within the first 90 days (AwareGO client benchmark, 2024).
Shift from “Gotcha” to growth
Let’s face it: phishing simulations have become predictable. Many employees now guess what’s fake, but don’t actually learn how phishing works. AwareGO helps users understand:
- What makes a message suspicious
- How attackers think
- Why certain red flags matter
- How to pause and assess in real life
It’s training that builds confidence, not fear, and helps security teams stop chasing click reports and start reducing real risk. Smarter phishing defense starts here. If phishing is your top human risk (and for most orgs, it still is), your strategy needs to evolve. Phishing simulations test the surface. AwareGO helps you change the behavior. Checkout our free demo now!