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Cybersecurity isn't just about firewalls, patches, and policies - it's also about people. We help businesses identify and address this human-centric risk with a targeted, ethical approach.
Focusing only on technical vulnerabilities creates a false sense of security. Social engineering involves psychological manipulation to trick individuals into divulging sensitive information or performing actions that compromise security.
As a CREST Accredited penetration testing service provider, you can trust our credentials and methodology to effectively evaluate how your team responds to suspicious behaviour.
Our team of certified penetration testers offer industry-leading expertise and have earned hundreds of verified 5-star client reviews. With Assure Technical, you’re in safe hands.
We simulate real-world social engineering attacks to identify staff and process vulnerabilities, then use the results to inform targeted awareness training.
Understanding how staff respond to social engineering is as crucial as identifying technical flaws. As attackers increasingly exploit human behaviour to bypass security, testing this layer is vital.
Although technology offers strong defences, people remain a key target. Hence, social engineering testing is crucial to uncover human risks that traditional methods often miss.
To enhance security awareness, realistic simulations are particularly effective. Indeed, first-hand exposure to a phishing email or impersonation attempt is more impactful than theory alone, as it reinforces learning through direct, hands-on experience.
Testing allows you to evaluate how effectively your team recognises, reports, and escalates suspicious activity. As a result, it strengthens your organisation’s ability to respond quickly and appropriately during real-world attacks.
A social engineering assessment actively tests your internal processes to identify real-world weaknesses. Moreover, it highlights whether your security policies are being followed or if gaps exist between procedures and actual behaviour.
Many frameworks - such as ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus, and GDPR - emphasise the importance of security awareness and risk mitigation. Therefore, social engineering testing not only demonstrates due diligence but also supports evidence-based compliance with these standards.
By pinpointing specific weaknesses, you can deliver targeted training and implement controls exactly where they’re most needed. As a result, your resources are focused for maximum impact, while also supporting continual improvement.
Unlike traditional cyber attacks, which target systems and software, social engineering focuses on human behaviour and decision-making. Instead of exploiting technical flaws, it relies on psychological manipulation to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information. As a result, it can also lead them to take actions that compromise security.
Phishing involves fraudulent emails intended to deceive recipients into clicking malicious links, downloading infected attachments, or entering credentials on fake websites. To address this threat, we create customised phishing simulations based on realistic scenarios tailored to your organisation. As a result, these tests effectively assess how well employees identify and respond to suspicious messages.
Vishing uses phone calls to impersonate trusted parties like IT support, HR, or external providers. Attackers aim to extract sensitive information such as passwords, system access, or financial details. To test this, our consultants make controlled calls using realistic and convincing pretexts. As a result, we assess how easily staff may be persuaded to share information over the phone.
Smishing, like phishing, uses text messages instead of emails to deceive users—often linking to fake sites or prompting harmful actions. To combat this, we send realistic SMS simulations, allowing you to assess your organisation’s mobile awareness and response more effectively.
This type of attack involves an attacker assuming a false identity - often as a visitor, contractor, or authority figure - to gain trust and access. Moreover, the pretext is carefully scripted to appear believable and persuasive. To assess your organisation’s defences, we conduct physical or remote impersonation attempts (with prior agreement). As a result, we evaluate how effectively staff verify identities and respond to unexpected or suspicious requests.
Tailgating and piggybacking attacks involve individuals using false identities to gain unauthorised access to secure areas. To appear credible, attackers often pose as delivery drivers, contractors, or authority figures. Additionally, they use scripted scenarios to make their approach more convincing. To test your organisation’s defences we conduct controlled impersonation attempts with prior agreement. In turn, this helps assess how well staff follow access control procedures and respond to unexpected situations.
Attackers often leave USB drives around office premises, hoping someone will plug them in out of curiosity. As a result, these drives may install malware or connect to an attacker-controlled server. To test this threat safely we plant harmless USBs with non-malicious payloads. This helps identify whether staff interact with them and how your systems respond.
In today’s digital era, cyber breaches are inevitable; posing significant operational, financial, and reputational threats to your business.
Importantly, penetration testing is amongst the most effective strategies to bolster your cyber security defences.
Download a complimentary copy of our comprehensive guide today. It covers all you need to know about penetration testing, enabling you to make an informed decision on how it could benefit your business.
Phishing simulations in the UK typically cost £4.30- £8.50 per employee depending on the training scale included. Multi-channel campaigns (phishing, vishing, smishing, and physical testing) represent a wider range of solutions available. At Assure Technical, we offer a fixed-price Cyber Awareness and Threat Management package. In 2025, the Cyber Security Breaches Survey confirmed phishing remains the most common and most disruptive attack type, affecting 85% of UK businesses that experienced incidents. Therefore, regular simulation is now considered a baseline control.
Options include phishing emails, vishing calls, smishing texts, and physical pretexting (e.g. access attempts). Campaigns are designed around sector-specific threats, ensuring they feel realistic. Moreover, metrics such as open, click, submission, and reporting rates are tracked to benchmark resilience. In addition, AI-generated phishing lures are rising in the UK, which makes human testing even more important. For technical control assurance, consider combining with Infrastructure Penetration Testing.
Yes – but only with proper authorisation. The Computer Misuse Act 1990 makes unauthorised access unlawful. Therefore, Assure Technical runs campaigns under signed agreements with clear scripts and NDAs. Moreover, we encourage staff to use official reporting channels such as [email protected] for suspicious emails and 7726 for malicious texts. These routes both support campaigns and reinforce safe reporting behaviour.
You will receive:
In addition, we can host a feedback workshop to ensure lessons are embedded. For organisations seeking accreditation-ready evidence, see our IT Health Check (ITHC) service.
Monthly ongoing testing is recommended by Assure technical Cyber Security specialists . In 2025, phishing remained the leading cause of breaches in UK businesses and charities, with 65% and 63% respectively reporting it as the most disruptive attack type. Therefore, sustained testing is essential to build resilience and measure progress.
We analyse engagement rates (open, click, submission), staff reporting behaviour, and response times. In addition, trend reporting across campaigns shows whether training and controls are improving resilience. For parallel testing of technical controls, see Application Penetration Testing.
Yes. Social engineering simulations provide evidence of staff awareness and incident response effectiveness for ISO 27001. They also help meet Cyber Essentials Plus requirements around phishing resilience. Furthermore, our campaigns align with NCSC guidance, which auditors recognise as industry best practice. Therefore, simulations strengthen both compliance posture and culture.
Absolutely. Attackers often target senior staff and finance teams due to their authority and access. Therefore, we design tailored lures for these groups while balancing realism and safety. For a broader cultural test, see Infrastructure Penetration Testing to identify complementary technology risks.
We provide role-specific feedback, practical training and reporting guides for onsite Social Engineering exercises. We reinforce official reporting routes such as [email protected] and 7726. Therefore, campaigns don’t just measure vulnerability – they actively drive cultural change.
We’re technical security experts, but we’re people first. We’re here to help make security simple.
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