Social Engineering
Technology can be fixed. Human behavior is a different challenge. We simulate real-world social engineering attacks–from phishing emails and fake phone calls to impersonating management or suppliers–helping you identify where your team is most vulnerable.
Request TestingWhat is Social Engineering?
Social engineering is a cyberattack technique where, instead of overcoming technical barriers, an attacker manipulates people–employees, system administrators, or company management. The goal is to gain access to sensitive information, systems, or physical premises through trust, authority, or urgency.
Unlike technical attacks, where patches are a clear answer, social engineering attacks a weakness that cannot be fixed with a software update. An attacker doesn’t need to find a zero-day vulnerability–they only need to convince one employee to click a link, reveal a password, or open a door.
Why It Is Dangerous
The human factor in 62% of data breaches
According to the current Verizon DBIR 2026 report, the human factor is involved in 62% of confirmed data breaches.
Roughly one-third of employees fail
In untrained organizations, approximately one-third of employees fail the first phishing simulation (KnowBe4, 2025 benchmark – Europe 32.5%).
Combination with technical attacks
Attackers can combine social engineering with technical attacks–creating complex, hard-to-detect threats.
No one trains for sophisticated scenarios
Most employees are not trained to recognize attacks where someone impersonates the IT helpdesk, a supplier, or company management.
NÚKIB (National Cyber and Information Security Agency) warns annually that phishing and social engineering are among the most common attack vectors for Czech organizations. Furthermore, the Cybersecurity Act implementing the NIS2 directive introduces obligations regarding employee education and testing.
Techniques We Test
Depending on the test objectives, we choose one technique or a combination. We tailor each one to your organization–no generic templates.
Phishing – Targeted Email Campaigns
We create realistic phishing emails tailored to your organization–featuring the company logo, the name of a specific manager, or a link to a current event, such as a system password change or an IT department notification. We track who clicked, who entered credentials, and who reported the attack.
What you will discover: click-through rates, credential submission rates, and time to incident report.
Vishing – Fraudulent Phone Calls
We simulate phone calls where the attacker poses as the IT helpdesk, a bank employee, an external supplier, or a regulatory body. The goal is to convince the employee to reveal a password, confirm a transaction, or install “technical support.” Vishing is exceptionally effective because people are less wary of phone calls than emails.
What you will discover: who succumbed, what information they revealed, and which pretext was most effective.
Pretexting – Fake Identity and Scenario
The attacker creates a credible scenario and identity in advance–for example, posing as a new employee, an IT specialist from headquarters, or an external auditor. The goal is to build trust and gain access to information or systems they would not normally have access to.
What you will discover: to what extent employees verify the identity of unknown persons and whether they follow access-sharing protocols.
Impersonation – Posing as Management or Partners
Spear-phishing attacks targeted at specific employees using publicly available information from LinkedIn, the company website, and social media. The tester may pose as the CEO, CFO, or an external partner and request urgent actions–payment, providing access, or sharing documents.
What you will discover: vulnerability to so-called CEO fraud and BEC (Business Email Compromise) attacks.
Physical techniques–such as tailgating, access card cloning, or USB drops–are performed exclusively within red teaming, never as part of a social engineering test. If the human factor proves to be a critical vector, we will propose the next step: a full Red Team simulation, penetration tests, or security training.
How Does the Testing Work?
Every project is bespoke–we tailor it to your organization, industry, and test objectives. The process is transparent and conducted exclusively with your knowledge and consent.
Scope and Objectives
A free consultation where we define the test objectives, the scope of employees, techniques, and the time window. We agree on the Rules of Engagement–what is permitted and what is not–and sign an NDA.
OSINT and Campaign Preparation
We gather publicly available information about the organization: email addresses, employee names, systems used, corporate culture, and current events. Based on this, we prepare realistic and targeted scenarios.
Campaign execution
We launch the agreed techniques–phishing campaigns, vishing calls, pretexting, or impersonation–within the agreed time window. We record every interaction and its outcome.
Evaluation and Reporting
We analyze the results and compile a report: who reacted how, which techniques were most effective, and where the systemic weaknesses lie. This includes specific recommendations for remedial measures.
Presentation and Recommendations
We present the results to management and the HR team. We recommend specific training and procedural measures–not generic training, but a targeted program based on real findings from your environment.
What will you receive?
Upon completion of the testing, you will receive a comprehensive report that serves as a basis for both employee training and company management:
Executive summary – overall attack success rate, most critical findings, and recommended priority steps
Campaign statistics – what percentage of employees clicked the link, how many entered credentials, and how many reported the email
Anonymized overview – individual reactions generalized at the team or department level, not by individual
Analysis of techniques – which scenarios worked best and why, and what they reveal about your security culture
Specific recommendations – what type of training, for whom, at what frequency, and which procedural changes to implement
Recommendations for retesting – when and how to verify if the training has yielded results
Why Test Social Engineering?
Technical measures only solve part of the problem. Here are four reasons why the human factor deserves separate attention:
NIS2, Cybersecurity Act, and Obligations to NÚKIB
The Cybersecurity Act (No. 264/2025 Coll.) imposes obligations in the area of employee education and demonstrable cyber risk management. Decree No. 409/2025 Coll. directly requires regular training and verification of security awareness. The simulation output is concrete evidence for both the regulator and the customer.
The human factor is the weakest link
Companies invest in firewalls, SIEM systems, and endpoint protection–yet an attacker bypasses all technology with a single phone call to the reception. Without regular testing and training, investment in technical security is incomplete.
A real threat, not a theoretical scenario
In its Threat Landscape 2025 report, ENISA identifies phishing as the dominant initial intrusion vector in the EU–accounting for roughly 60% of cases. Testing is not a preventive luxury, but a necessity.
Results with measurable impact
Regular simulations allow you to measure the development of security awareness over time and target training exactly where it is needed. Instead of estimates, you get numbers that can be compared year-over-year.
Why SysnetShield?
There are many companies on the market offering security services. Here is the specific difference–and the people behind it:
Team Certifications
CRTLCertified Red Team Lead
CRTOCertified Red Team Operator
CPTSCertified Penetration Testing Specialist
CNPenCertified Network Pentester
CCPenX-AWSCertified Cloud Pentesting eXpert – AWS
C-AI/MLPenCertified AI/ML Pentester
CAPenXCertified AppSec Pentesting eXpert
THM WEB1Web App Pentester Level 1
NÚKIBCybersecurity ManagerBoth CRTO and CPTS are fully practical certifications–the exam consists of a multi-day attack in a laboratory environment and the preparation of a report, not a multiple-choice test.
What sets us apart
Specialized team, not subcontractors
We are not a consultancy firm that resells work. Every project is led directly by members of our team with full responsibility for the result.
Manual work, not just automated tools
Automated scanners detect known vulnerabilities. Logic errors, business-logic flaws, and exploit chains can only be uncovered by an experienced tester who thinks like an attacker.
Actionable outputs
The report is not an academic exercise. It is written so that your dev or ops team can start remediation immediately–with specific steps and links to resources.
Tailored scenarios, not templates
We build every project according to your environment, your risks, and your goals. We do not use off-the-shelf methodologies or generic templates.
Discretion and confidentiality
We sign an NDA before every project. All information and results remain exclusively between us and you.
Compliance with international standards
The methodology is based on OWASP, PTES, and NIST and is in compliance with NIS2 and the Cybersecurity Act–meaning it is recognized by regulators and auditors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Social engineering is an attack on people, not technology. An attacker manipulates employees to reveal passwords, click on dangerous links, or open doors to the company. You should care because, according to ENISA, phishing is the dominant initial intrusion vector in the EU–and firewalls or antiviruses won’t catch it.
Testing is always conducted with the knowledge and consent of company management and is legally covered by a contract. The goal is not to punish employees who succumbed, but to identify systemic weaknesses and propose solutions. Results are usually presented anonymously or at the team level. Properly set up testing enhances security culture, not fear.
Yes. We define the scope of the test together with you. We can test the entire organization, specific departments–such as accounting, reception, or IT–or a group of employees with access to sensitive systems. A targeted test is sometimes more effective and economical than a blanket campaign.
The length of the project depends on the scope–the number of employees, the number of techniques, and the depth of testing. It includes preparation (OSINT, scenario creation, technical configuration), the campaign itself, and the processing of the final report. We will agree on a precise schedule during the initial consultation.
Excellent–reporting a suspicious email or phone call is exactly the behavior we want to see. We track the reporting rate as a metric just as important as the click-through rate. If employees consistently report suspicious messages, it is a strong indicator of a mature security culture.
Yes. The report includes specific recommendations–not just “train your people.” We recommend the type and content of training, procedural changes (e.g., verification protocols for calls from the IT department), technical measures (such as better labeling of external emails), and suggest a retesting date to verify improvement.
Find out what an attacker would find out about your people
Social engineering is one of the cheapest ways for an attacker to bypass even very good technical protection. Let us test your team before someone with malicious intent does. Free consultation within 24 hours, custom offer with no obligations–or call us directly at +420 724 267 180 (CZ) or +421 905 841 642 (SK).