Employee Phishing Simulation Training Programme

Phishing is not an edge case. It is the single most common way UK businesses get breached, and the only durable fix is making your people harder to fool. AMVIA designs, runs, and reports on phishing simulation programmes as part of our managed cybersecurity service, so testing and training sit inside a wider security operation rather than as a one-off exercise.

Why do UK SMEs need phishing simulation?

Because people, not firewalls, are where most attacks land. In 2025, 43% of UK businesses experienced a cyber breach or attack, and phishing was involved in 85% of those cases (Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025). Technical controls stop a lot — but a convincing email still reaches a human who has to make the right call in two seconds.

The cost is real and measurable:

• 43% of UK businesses hit by a breach or attack in 2025 (DSIT, 2025)
• 85% of those breaches involved phishing (DSIT, 2025)
• £3,550 average cost of the most disruptive breach, excluding zero-cost responses (DSIT, 2025)
• ~19,000 UK businesses estimated to be hit by ransomware in the past year, much of it phishing-led (DSIT, 2025)

A simulation programme turns "we told staff to be careful" into a measured, improving number you can put in front of your board, your insurer, and your auditor. It pairs naturally with technical phishing protection — controls catch the obvious, training catches what slips through.

What's included in an AMVIA phishing simulation programme?

A full lifecycle: a baseline test to see where you stand, tailored campaigns that mimic real attackers, instant training the moment someone clicks, and ongoing measurement that proves whether resilience is improving. Every cycle produces a report you can hand to leadership or a cyber insurer.

• Step 1 — Baseline assessment. A first simulation goes to all participants without warning. This establishes your current click rate, credential-submission rate, and reporting rate, so improvement is measured against a real starting point.
• Step 2 — Campaign design. AMVIA builds simulations tailored to your business — referencing your industry, your tools, and realistic sender names and branding, because generic templates train staff for attacks they will never receive.
• Step 3 — Immediate training for clickers. Anyone who clicks a link, submits credentials, or opens an attachment gets a short (two-to-three-minute) contextual learning module then and there, while the mistake is fresh.
• Step 4 — Targeted follow-up. After each cycle, AMVIA reports who clicked, who submitted credentials, and who correctly reported the email. Persistent clickers get enhanced, targeted training.
• Step 5 — Ongoing simulation. The programme runs continuously — typically monthly or quarterly — with simulations of increasing sophistication, so staff are tested against evolving tactics, not last year's tricks.

How does AMVIA run your phishing programme?

In four repeating phases: setup, an initial unannounced simulation, targeted training for anyone who falls for it, then continuous testing that tracks improvement trends. The cycle repeats so the number that matters — your click rate — keeps falling.

• 01 Programme setup — configure the simulation platform, import your user list, and design templates relevant to your industry.
• 02 Initial simulation — a realistic phishing email goes to all staff, measuring who clicks, who reports, and who enters credentials.
• 03 Targeted training — staff who fall for a simulation receive immediate, contextual training.
• 04 Continuous testing — monthly simulations of rising sophistication, with improvement tracked over time.

Simulation works best when it sits alongside the controls in your inbox. AMVIA combines awareness training with technical email defences — Microsoft Defender and the Barracuda email security suite — and ties both back to Microsoft Defender for Business. Training your people to recognise a phishing email is the human layer of that same defence.

Phishing simulation vs awareness training alone

Does phishing simulation help with cyber insurance?

Yes. Most UK cyber insurers now expect evidence of security awareness training, and many specifically ask for phishing simulation. AMVIA supplies quarterly reports documenting programme scope, frequency, and improvement metrics — exactly the evidence underwriters request at renewal. That turns a renewal box-tick into a documented, defensible control.

Why choose AMVIA for phishing simulation?

Because we run security for a living, from the UK, with the certifications to back it. AMVIA holds Cyber Essentials Plus certification and Microsoft Solutions Partner status, and we manage IT and security for 1,200+ UK businesses across legal, finance, healthcare, and professional services.

• Sheffield-based, UK-focused. Our engineering and support team operates from Sheffield, with a working knowledge of UK compliance requirements and the challenges facing British businesses.
• Accredited and certified. AMVIA holds Cyber Essentials Plus certification and Microsoft Solutions Partner status — see the NCSC for what Cyber Essentials covers.
• 1,200+ UK businesses protected. Security and IT managed for over 1,200 UK businesses across multiple regulated sectors.
• Fast, responsive support. Critical issues responded to within one hour, with helpdesk available by phone, email, and portal.

This is the human side of the security work we do under our managed detection and response service — people and technology defended together.

How much does phishing simulation cost?

Fixed monthly pricing. No lock-in contracts. AMVIA scopes the programme to your headcount and simulation frequency (monthly or quarterly), then bills a predictable monthly fee with no setup lock-in — so you can prove value before committing long-term. Speak to us for a quote tailored to your staff numbers and sector.