Social Engineering Assessments

Social Engineering Assessments help organizations strengthen their cyber resilience by simulating real-world cyberattacks. These tests reveal weaknesses in your security posture and raise user awareness to better defend against threats.

Social engineering attacks manipulate end users into compromising security by revealing sensitive information, bypassing security protocols, or granting unauthorized access. Often exploiting emotions such as urgency or trust, these attacks impersonate familiar contacts, creating a false sense of security.

How Social Engineering Assessments Strengthen Your Security

Social Engineering Assessments simulate real-world threats like phishing, vishing (voice phishing), and physical security breaches to assess your organization’s vulnerability to human error. These assessments help you identify areas for improvement and raise awareness about potential risks.

Common forms include phishing, vishing (voice phishing), and physical security breaches.

• Phishing remains the most common form of attack, with threat actors using it to deliver malware, steal credentials, compromise sensitive data, and carry out attacks like ransomware. Victims often click on malicious links, open infected attachments, or provide login credentials to attackers posing as trusted contacts. Schneider Downs offers hyper-specific phishing simulations to address the ever-present threat of phishing.

• Vishing has grown in effectiveness as generative AI and automation tools have become more accessible, making it an increasingly significant threat. Schneider Downs offers robust vishing simulations to address this rising risk.
• Physical Security Testing is essential for identifying insider threats and ensuring that physical access controls are secure. Schneider Downs’ experts assess these controls to enhance overall security.

Customizable Social Engineering Assessments

Schneider Downs collaborates with clients to design customized social engineering assessments that simulate real-world attacks in a controlled environment. We work closely with your team to understand your organization’s cybersecurity culture, risks, and goals. Based on our findings, we configure our tools to create, execute, and track simulated attacks in real-time. The assessment may include:

• Phishing or vishing for credential harvesting
• Phishing or vishing for malware execution
• Phishing or vishing for MFA bypass
• Physical testing for restricted area access

Our team monitors user behavior throughout the assessment, tracking actions like whether phishing emails are ignored, reported, opened, or whether malicious links or attachments are clicked.

At the end of the engagement, we provide detailed analysis, highlighting high-risk behaviors and offering recommendations for additional training. Identities remain anonymous in the report, but users with risky behaviors are flagged for management’s attention.

For subscription service customers, we offer ongoing data analytics to track employee behavior baselines and improvement over time.

What to Expect from Social Engineering Assessments?

• Behavioral Data Tracking: Gather deep data to establish baseline user behaviors and track progress over time.
• Custom Campaigns: Tailor phishing exercises to fit your organization’s specific needs and industry.
• Continuous Support: Benefit from ongoing assistance from our experienced cybersecurity analysts.
• Expert Analysis: Receive detailed insights and expert recommendations based on simulated phishing campaign results.
• Flexible Subscription Models: Choose from annual, quarterly, monthly, or on-demand assessments based on your needs.
• Real-Time Teachable Moments: Address any organizational security missteps immediately during the assessment for effective learning opportunities.
• Diverse Phishing Techniques: Simulate various phishing tactics, including malicious attachments, links, and other attack methods.
• Trusted Cybersecurity Partnership: Educate your organization and end users with ongoing support and guidance.

Ready to get started? Contact the Schneider Downs cybersecurity team at [email protected].

About Schneider Downs Cybersecurity

The Schneider Downs cybersecurity practice consists of experts offering a comprehensive set of information technology security services, including penetration testing, intrusion prevention/detection review, ransomware security and vulnerability assessments, as well as a robust digital forensics and incident response team. Learn more at www.schneiderdowns.com/cybersecurity.

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