KnowBe4, Inc.

Systems and methods are disclosed for creating simulated phishing attack messages that have characteristics which make them appear genuine, while also having characteristics that a user should recognize as being false. Simulated phishing emails may appear to be more realistic to a recipient user if the user observes that the email has also been sent to an individual known to the recipient within the same company. However, it may not be desirable to send the simulated phishing email to such additional recipients. The systems and methods include communicating a simulated phishing email from a server of a simulated phishing attack system to a recipient user of an entity. The simulated phishing email appears to the recipient user as though it is also addressed to one or more non-recipient users of the entity, even though the email is not sent to the non-recipient users.

Embodiments disclosed herein describe a server, for example a security awareness server or an artificial intelligence machine learning system that establishes a risk score or vulnerable for a user of a security awareness system, or for a group of users of a security awareness system. The server may create a frequency score for a user, which predicts the frequency at which the user is to be hit with a malicious attack. The frequency score may be based on at least a job score, which may be represented by a value that is based on the type of job the user has, and a breach score that may be represented by a value that is based on the user's level of exposure to email.

System and methods are described which are useful for efficiently combining characteristic detection rules, such as may be done to efficiently and quickly assist in the dispositioning of user reported security threats.

Systems and methods are described for communication of a third-party application server with a third-party email client plug-in. The systems and the methods enable the third-party application server to provide a plug-in header contained in a message. The plug-in header may include an X-header. The X-header may be injected into the message. The plug-in installed within an email client receives the message. The plug-in is configured to process the plug-in header to identify one or more instructions to perform an action of one or more actions. The one or more instructions may relate to a property of a user and/or a property of the email client of the user. Responsive to the one or more instructions, the plug-in performs the action.

Systems and methods are described for providing customized message content to be displayed to a user of an email client, responsive to the user selecting, via a plug-in or agent of the email client, to report an email as a potential phishing email. In examples, the user may be an employee of an organization and the systems and methods may facilitate a determination by the plug-in or agent of the email client that the reported email is one that does not pose a security risk, such as a simulated phishing email sent by the organization itself, or an email sent from a trusted partner of the organization. The systems and methods may facilitate a customization of the message content that is displayed to the user. In examples, the customized message content may be included or specified within one or more SMTP extension headers of an SMTP email.

A method for establishing a campaign for a simulated phishing attack includes receiving, via a campaign manager, specification of a plurality of parameters for a campaign including at least an identifier of a campaign and identification of users to which to send the campaign, establishing, via the campaign manager, a type of exploit for the campaign and one or more types of data to collect via the type of exploit, storing, by the campaign manager, the campaign comprising the plurality of parameters, and identifying, by a simulation server, the campaign stored in the database to create a simulated phishing email, to be sent to email accounts of the users, using the plurality of parameters of the campaign, wherein the simulated phishing email is to be created to have a link to a landing page comprising the type of exploit and configured to collect the one or more types of data.

Systems and methods are described by which a serving module of a campaign controller identifies a first version of a model which the campaign controller uses to communicate a first simulated phishing communication to a plurality of users. The campaign controller receives a first response from a first user to the simulated phishing communication and a second response from a second user to the simulated phishing communication and determines that the first and second responses are corresponding, for example are the same or similar. The serving module assigns a first user to a first group of users and a second user to a second group of users and identifies a second version of the model to use for the first user and a third version of the model to use for the second user.

A system and method is described that sends multiple simulated phishing emails, text messages, and/or phone calls (e.g., via VoIP) varying the quantity, frequency, type, sophistication, and combination using machine learning algorithms or other forms of artificial intelligence. In some implementations, some or all messages (email, text messages, VoIP calls) in a campaign after the first simulated phishing email, text message, or call may be used to direct the user to open the first simulated phishing email or text message, or to open the latest simulated phishing email or text message. In some implementations, simulated phishing emails, text messages, or phone calls of a campaign may be intended to lure the user to perform a different requested action, such as selecting a hyperlink in an email or text message, or returning a voice call.

Systems and methods are disclosed that are useful for minimizing organization risk in the case of a cybersecurity attack, through computer-based simulation of cybersecurity attacks, incident response tracking and incident response training provided responsive to the simulation outcome. A server is configured to execute a simulated cybersecurity attack on a plurality of users and their computer systems on a company network associated with a company, tracking responses such as interactions with at least one of the computer systems or network components to the simulated cybersecurity attack and validating whether one or more responses of a predetermined set of responses have occurred to minimize the impact of the simulated security attack on the entity

Systems and methods are provided for performing simulated phishing attacks using social engineering indicators. One or more failure indicators can be configured in a phishing email template, and each failure indicator can be assigned a description about that failure indicator through use of a markup tag. The phishing email template containing the markup tags corresponding to the failure indicators can be stored and can be used to generate a simulated phishing email in which the one or more markup tags are removed.