5 Vital Phishing Awareness Emails to Employees

“Experience is the best teacher,” said Julius Caesar. His words are especially true when you consider the role of phishing awareness emails to employees in improving an organization’s cybersecurity defences.

After all, it only takes one slip to undo everything. While Caesar did not have to contend with pesky phishing emails during the heyday of the mighty Roman Empire, he did have people out to get him. Just ask Brutus, his best friend-turned-betrayer.

To ensure that your organization does not suffer its own “Et tu Brutus” moment from online scammers, we are going to look at the most common methods used to trap you.

Why send phishing awareness emails to employees?

FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received over 300,497 complaints about phishing emails in 2022. These phishing attacks caused an estimated $52 million in loss.

Phishing continues to be a top threat to online security. Con artists use sophisticated social engineering tactics to trick employees into revealing confidential information or downloading malware.

What can organizations do? They need their employees to learn and recognize phishing signs.

By doing so they can:

Prevent malware from infecting computers
Protect all sensitive information from intruders
Comply with data protection guidelines
Improve their organization’s cybersecurity readiness
Achieve peace of mind

Let's see how you can thwart this social engineering scam.

At a glance:

1. Phishing Email Samples to Train Your Workforce

1.1 Phishing Email Sample #1: Account Verification

1.2 Phishing Email Sample #2: Prize Winner Announcement

1.3 Phishing Email Sample #3: Urgent Financial Transaction

1.4 Phishing Email Sample #4: Software Update Notification

2. Phishing Email Sample #5: Urgent Information Request

3. Conclusion

Phishing Email Samples to Train Your Workforce

Introducing a culture of cybersecurity into your workplace starts with the most important resource you have - the people. Prioritize educating them with the kind of emails scammers can send their way. This way, you can gauge readiness levels across the organization.

Test employees with these five email templates to improve your cybersecurity awareness training efforts.

Note: Don't forget to click on highlighted areas for more information.

Phishing Email Sample #1: Account Verification

Phishing Email Sample #2: Prize Winner Announcement

Won a prize from a contest you don't even remember participating in? It practically screams scam.

Phishing Email Sample #3: Urgent Financial Transaction

A sudden request to send money? Make sure you do your due diligence.

Phishing Email Sample #4: Software Update Notification

Check with your IT department using a secure, alternative communication channel if you get an urgent update request.

Phishing Email Sample #5: Urgent Information Request

There are established procedures for updating employee records. This email is not how companies do it.

Conclusion

Cybersecurity boils down to people understanding who and what they're dealing with. According to IBM, the pressure exerted by threat actors resulted in 27% of extortion-related attacks in 2023. By learning to identify the most common signs found in phishing emails, your organization can minimize the possibility of sensitive information being stolen. We hope these phishing awareness emails help you kickstart your information security efforts quickly. Be sure to run an internal phishing campaign to determine how ready you are against cyber threats.

Need even more ideas to evaluate your employees? We've got a comprehensive guide to creating a test phishing email strategy for your organization that deserves a look.

Samir Yawar / Content Lead

Samir wants a world where people can instinctively whack online scams and feel accomplished without the need for psychic powers. As an ISC2 member, he is doing his bit to turn cybersecurity awareness training into a fun concept with simple, approachable and accessible content. Reach out to him at X @yawarsamir

A feature image for an online quiz about sharing too much information online

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FAQsFrequently Asked Questions

How can organizations prevent phishing emails from reaching employees' inboxes?

Organizations can implement various measures to prevent phishing emails from reaching employees' inboxes. These include deploying advanced email filters and anti-phishing solutions that can detect and block suspicious emails, using domain-based authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify the authenticity of incoming emails, and conducting regular security awareness training to educate employees about phishing risks and prevention techniques.

Are there any tools or technologies available to help organizations combat phishing emails?

Yes, there are tools and technologies available to help organizations combat phishing emails. Some examples include email security gateways, which provide advanced threat detection and prevention capabilities, anti-phishing software that can identify and block phishing attempts, and security awareness training platforms that offer simulated phishing campaigns and interactive educational resources to train employees to recognize and respond to phishing attacks effectively.

What should employees do if they receive a suspected phishing email?

If employees receive a suspected phishing email, they should not click on any links, download attachments, or provide any personal information. Instead, they should report the email to their IT or security team using the organization's established reporting procedures. Employees should also delete the email from their inbox and, if possible, mark it as spam.

What is a phishing kit?

A phishing kit is a repository of tools and resources used by cybercriminals to create and deploy phishing attacks. It typically includes pre-designed phishing email templates, web page replicas of legitimate websites, and scripts for capturing user credentials or personal information. Phishing kits streamline the process of launching phishing campaigns and increase the chances of successful attacks.

5 Vital Phishing Awareness Emails to Test Your Employees