Phishing Simulations: 5 Platforms SMEs Can Trust

Phishing is still the quickest way to break a well-run business. Not because your firewalls are weak, but because a single rushed click can hand over credentials to your CRM, marketing automation platform, and customer data in under a minute.

For UK SMEs pushing hard on marketing automation in 2026—more leads, faster follow-ups, leaner teams—this is a direct operational risk. Automated journeys only work if your email accounts, customer lists, and sender reputation stay intact. And in a net-zero transition world where businesses are digitising everything (from supplier onboarding to sustainability reporting), protecting access to those systems is part of staying resilient.

Phishing simulations are the practical answer: they train real behaviour, measure risk, and create a culture where security is normal—not a once-a-year tick-box.

Snippet-worthy truth: If your marketing automation is your growth engine, phishing resistance is the fuel filter. Ignore it, and the engine fails.

Why phishing training matters (even if you’re “not a target”)

Phishing isn’t about your company being famous. It’s about being reachable.

Most SMEs have the same ingredients attackers want:

• Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace logins
• A CRM with valuable contacts
• An email marketing tool with high deliverability
• Finance approvals that happen by email
• Shared passwords, or weak MFA adoption

The marketing automation angle: what attackers really want

A successful phish often leads to one of four outcomes that directly hit revenue:

1. Account takeover (ATO) of inboxes used for prospecting and customer comms
2. CRM access (export contacts, target customers, impersonate your team)
3. Marketing platform abuse (spam sends, domain/IP reputation damage)
4. Invoice fraud (especially for project-based SMEs)

If you’re running automated nurture sequences, it’s easy to miss that security is part of the funnel. A compromised mailbox can:

• Send malicious links to your list
• Trigger complaints and blacklisting
• Force a deliverability reset that takes weeks

Net zero transition tie-in: digital resilience is sustainability

The Climate Change & Net Zero Transition isn’t only about energy and transport. It’s also about how organisations modernise operations—paperless workflows, remote audits, supplier portals, automated comms, digital reporting.

Those changes reduce emissions, but they also expand the attack surface. A phishing simulation programme is a straightforward way to keep the benefits of digitisation without accepting unnecessary risk.

What to look for in a phishing simulation platform (SME checklist)

The right platform isn’t “the one with the most templates”. It’s the one your team will actually use and that gives you actionable reporting.

Core features that matter

Here’s what I’d treat as non-negotiable for SMEs:

• Realistic templates (Microsoft/Google login, file share, delivery notices, HR updates)
• Automated assignments (new starters, quarterly refreshers)
• Just-in-time training after a click (short, specific lessons)
• Role-based scenarios (finance, sales, ops, senior leaders)
• Clear metrics: click rate, credential entry rate, reporting rate
• Policy-friendly controls: whitelist domains, safe landing pages, audit logs

Integration points that make this feel “joined-up”

If you already invest in marketing automation and operational tools, choose a phishing platform that fits that ecosystem:

• SSO / identity (Microsoft Entra ID / Google SSO)
• User provisioning (so leavers are removed automatically)
• Email integration (so simulations match your real environment)
• Reporting exports (for board packs and compliance)

The biggest win is admin time. Security programmes fail when they require heroic effort from an overstretched ops person.

Five phishing simulation platforms worth shortlisting

Because the source article couldn’t be fully accessed (it appears blocked behind a security check), I’m not going to pretend it listed specific products. Instead, here are five widely used phishing simulation platforms that SMEs and mid-market organisations commonly shortlist, plus the best-fit scenarios for each.

1) Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (Attack Simulation Training)

Best for: SMEs already standardised on Microsoft 365.

If your team lives in Outlook and Teams, Microsoft’s built-in approach can be the cleanest. It’s tightly connected to your tenant, identity controls, and reporting.

Why it works:

• Native integration with Microsoft 365 security stack
• Solid reporting and governance
• Easier stakeholder buy-in (“we already pay Microsoft”)

Watch-outs:

• Licensing can be confusing; capabilities vary by plan
• Template variety is good, but some teams want more customisation

Marketing automation connection: Protects the same identities used to access your CRM, ad accounts, and campaign tools—usually via Microsoft SSO.

2) KnowBe4 Phishing Security Test (PST)

Best for: Organisations that want a mature training library and strong reporting.

KnowBe4 is a familiar name for a reason: breadth of content, strong campaign management, and lots of flexibility.

Why it works:

• Extensive phishing templates and training modules
• Strong segmentation (departments, risk groups)
• Good dashboards for leadership reporting

Watch-outs:

• You’ll want someone to own the programme to get full value

Marketing automation connection: Great for running targeted simulations for sales and marketing teams—people who click fast because they live in inboxes.

3) Proofpoint Security Awareness Training

Best for: Businesses that want phishing simulation tied closely to email threat protection.

Proofpoint tends to be attractive when you’re thinking beyond training and into the full email security picture.

Why it works:

• Strong behaviour analytics
• Fits well in broader email security programmes
• Helps link human-risk reduction to actual threat trends

Watch-outs:

• Can be more “enterprise-flavoured” depending on your setup

Marketing automation connection: Helps protect sender reputation by reducing compromised mailbox incidents—the hidden deliverability killer.

4) Hoxhunt

Best for: SMEs that want high engagement and a “keep it simple” rollout.

Hoxhunt has a reputation for being user-friendly and motivating, which matters more than most leaders expect. If staff resent training, they rush through it and learn nothing.

Why it works:

• Behaviour-led learning and frequent, short interactions
• Strong user experience (less eye-rolling)
• Helps build a reporting culture

Watch-outs:

• If you need deep governance frameworks, validate fit early

Marketing automation connection: Useful for fast-paced teams (sales/CS/marketing) where micro-learning fits the day better than 45-minute modules.

5) Cofense PhishMe (Cofense Awareness)

Best for: Firms that want strong reporting and incident feedback loops.

Cofense is often chosen when organisations want to connect simulations with real-world reporting and response processes.

Why it works:

• Strong focus on reporting behaviour (not just “don’t click”)
• Works well when you build a mature security operations rhythm

Watch-outs:

• Best value comes when you also refine internal response workflows

Marketing automation connection: If someone reports a suspicious email that looks like a “new lead notification” or “CRM password reset”, your response time matters. Cofense-style workflows support that maturity.

How to run phishing simulations without annoying your team

The fastest way to kill a security programme is to make it feel like a gotcha. Simulations should be measured, fair, and useful.

Set a simple policy: train behaviour, don’t shame people

Here’s what works in practice:

• Tell staff you run simulations regularly (no surprises, no blame)
• Don’t name-and-shame individuals
• Reward reporting behaviour
• Train the whole system: people + process + controls

A good internal line is: “We’re trying to reduce risk, not catch anyone out.”

Use a 90-day rollout plan (simple, effective)

Days 1–30: Baseline

• Run one low-difficulty simulation
• Measure click rate and reporting rate
• Identify high-risk groups (often sales, finance, ops)

Days 31–60: Targeted training

• Add just-in-time training for clickers
• Introduce a “report phish” button if available
• Run scenarios matched to your tools (M365 login, file sharing)

Days 61–90: Make it operational

• Automate onboarding assignments
• Schedule quarterly campaigns
• Add a lightweight KPI to management reporting

Metrics I’d track:

• Click rate (should trend down)
• Credential entry rate (should drop fast)
• Report rate (should trend up)
• Repeat clickers (needs coaching + technical controls)

Where phishing simulations fit in an SME’s “digital toolkit” for growth

If you’re investing in marketing automation, you’re already building a modern revenue system: CRM hygiene, segmentation, lead scoring, automated email journeys.

Phishing simulations sit beside that work because they protect the same assets:

• Customer data used for targeting and personalisation
• Brand trust built through email and community
• Operational efficiency (fewer incidents, less downtime)

And if your organisation is part of the net-zero transition—bidding for greener contracts, reporting emissions, digitising supplier processes—your digital systems become more central each quarter. Security awareness isn’t separate from sustainability; it supports continuity.

Another quotable line: Net zero programmes rely on clean data and reliable systems. Phishing attacks undermine both.

Next steps: choose a platform, then make it routine

A phishing simulation platform is only “worth it” when it becomes routine: onboard, simulate, train, report, repeat.

If you’re picking a tool this quarter, do two things first:

1. Map your critical systems (email, CRM, marketing automation, finance approvals)
2. Pick one metric to improve (report rate is usually the best starting point)

Most SMEs don’t need an overly complex programme. They need consistency, realism, and leadership that treats security as part of growth.

As you plan your 2026 roadmap—automation, efficiency, and progress on climate and net-zero commitments—ask yourself one practical question: if someone stole one mailbox login tomorrow, what would they be able to access within 10 minutes?

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