• by Jess Nelson , January 25, 2017

Security company Sophos now offers a testing and training platform to address the threat of phishing scams. 

The news, announced Wednesday, details how Sophos Phish Threat adds a phishing attack simulator and training program to Sophos Central, the company’s cloud-based security management platform, and aims to help IT managers protect their company from phishing security threats.

Sophos Phish Threat creates a company-specific phishing simulation that mirrors real-world threats, identifying any potential security holes via analytics. The company says it updates Sophos Phish Threat regularly alongside surges in attacker behavior trends.

Sophos offers training sessions to help end-users recognize what a phishing attack looks like and the correct steps needed to take if they mistakenly get caught in a scam.

A major component of phishing protection is education, as ultimately it may be one employee’s click that puts the entire company or organization’s data at risk. Phishing protection is critical for brands’ seeking to minimize data theft, financial loss and diminishing brand loyalty. 

A large number of recent high-profile breaches, like the hack on the DNC network, have shone a spotlight on the repercussions of phishing.

"For years, criminals have disguised attacks in email and today SophosLabs sees phishing emails as a primary delivery method for ransomware payloads,” states Bill Lucchini, senior vice president and general manager for the Sophos Cloud Security Group.

The company’s new solution derives from Sophos’ acquisition of Silent Break Security, a penetration test and risk assessment consultancy, in 2016. The core team of engineers who initially developed the technology joined the Sophos Cloud Security Group.

Sophos Phish Threat is managed alongside Sophos’ other security solutions in Sophos Central, including XG Firewall, Sophos Endpoint Security, Sophos Intercept X, Sophos Server Protection, Sophos SafeGuard Encryption and Sophos Email Security.

Based in Oxford, UK, Sophos powers the security solutions of more than 100 million global users. The company’s encryption, endpoint security, Web, email, mobile and network security solutions are backed by SophosLabs, a global network of threat intelligence centers.