Social Engineering Testing
Would Your Staff Spot the Pretext?
Social engineering testing is an authorized simulation of the tactics criminals use to manipulate employees: phishing and spear phishing emails, phone pretexting (vishing), text-message lures (smishing), help desk reset requests, and in-person impersonation. Redbeard Intelligence and Investigations designs and runs these tests for organizations nationwide and reports measured results that leadership can use for awareness training and process fixes.
The goal is not to catch people out. It is to learn which procedures hold, which bend under a friendly voice or an urgent email, and whether suspicious contact reaches the right team.
Why Social Engineering Testing Matters
Strong passwords and email filters cannot stop an employee who has been talked into helping. Testing shows how your people and processes respond when a request sounds legitimate.
- Every Scenario Approved
Lures, call scripts, and pretexts are reviewed and approved by your team before launch.
- Multi-Channel Testing
Email, phone, text, in-person, and help desk scenarios in one coordinated program.
- Measured Results
Clicks, submissions, disclosures, and report rates, tracked campaign by campaign.
- No Real Passwords Kept
Landing pages log that a submission happened without storing real credentials.
- Humane by Design
No pretexts about pay, layoffs, health, or family emergencies; results guide training, not discipline.
- Investigative Reconnaissance
OSINT research shows what an attacker can learn about your staff before the first call.
What Social Engineering Testing Can Include
Depending on scope, testing can cover:
- Phishing sent to broad groups, and spear phishing aimed at roles such as finance, executive assistants, HR, or IT
- Business email compromise scenarios, such as a request to change vendor bank details or rush a wire
- Vishing: phone calls that use a pretext to request information or access
- Help desk tests: whether a caller can talk staff into resetting a password or MFA factor without verifying who they are
- Smishing: text-message lures, where counsel approves the approach
- In-person impersonation of a vendor, contractor, or new hire
- USB drop tests using harmless devices that simply signal when someone connects them
- Reporting behavior: whether staff flag suspicious contact and whether reports reach the right people
When getting through the front door is the main question, physical penetration testing covers on-site entry in more depth.
How a Campaign Runs
- Scoping. Channels, target groups, exclusions such as staff on leave, approved and prohibited themes, and sign-off from HR and legal.
- Reconnaissance. Open-source research into email formats, public staff roles, and vendors.
- Scenario design. Every lure, script, and pretext is submitted for your approval.
- Setup. Lookalike domains and landing pages, plus agreement with IT on whether email filters are part of the test.
- Execution. Campaigns launch in waves rather than all at once.
- Live monitoring. Deconfliction if staff escalate to IT or police, and a pause if a real incident appears.
- Analysis. Results, plus the process gaps behind them, such as a weak callback procedure.
- Reporting and follow-up. A debrief, training recommendations, and repeat campaigns that show the trend.
Authorization, Consent, and Rules of Engagement
Testing begins only after written authorization from someone with legal authority over the people, systems, and accounts involved. Where a campaign touches third parties, such as an outsourced help desk, a managed IT provider, or a cloud email or hosting provider, their approval or coordination is arranged first. The signed rules of engagement cover scope, channels, approved scenarios, emergency contacts, and a stop and deconfliction process for a worried employee or a genuine incident.
Pretexts never involve posing as law enforcement, emergency responders, or government personnel. Florida, where Redbeard is based, generally requires the consent of all parties to record a phone call, so call recording happens only when counsel approves it in the authorization. Texting personal phones and imitating real outside brands are reviewed with counsel first.
What You Receive
- A leadership summary plus results for each campaign
- Redacted copies of every lure and phone script used
- Email metrics: delivery, open, click, and submission rates, report rate, and time to first report
- Phone and help desk results: calls connected, information disclosed, and whether verification steps held
- USB results: devices found, connected, and turned in
- Process findings for the help desk, payment approvals, and visitor handling
- Training recommendations and a plan for repeat campaigns
These figures are your organization’s own measurements, not industry benchmarks. Findings can be mapped to MITRE ATT&CK Phishing techniques, the NIST Phish Scale can rate how hard each lure was to spot, and training plans can be informed by NIST SP 800-50.
Turning Results Into Better Training
A single campaign is a snapshot. The value comes from fixing the process behind the click and then measuring again. If the help desk reset a password for an impostor, the fix is a stronger identity check, not a lecture. If finance approved a changed bank account, the fix is a callback to a known number. If a test uncovers signs of a real compromise, incident response support is available, and a red team exercise can test detection across the whole organization.
What Affects Cost
Cost depends on the number of employees in scope, the channels tested, the number of campaigns and waves, the depth of reconnaissance, any in-person component and travel, and whether training content and repeat campaigns are included. You receive a written scope and estimate before any campaign launches.
Who It Is For and When to Schedule It
IT directors, CISOs, HR and training leads, and finance leaders worried about wire fraud commission these tests, as do law firms, title agencies, medical practices, and financial organizations. Common triggers include:
- A recent account takeover, fraudulent wire request, or business email compromise
- Setting a baseline before an awareness program, then measuring after training
- Getting ready for an audit
- Moving the help desk to an outside provider or introducing multi-factor authentication
- Bringing staff together after a merger
Redbeard Intelligence and Investigations is based in Florida and serves organizations nationwide. Email, phone, and text campaigns are usually run remotely; in-person components involve travel to your location.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is social engineering testing?
Social engineering testing is an authorized simulation of the manipulation tactics criminals use against employees, such as phishing emails, phone pretexts, text lures, and impersonation. Your leadership approves every scenario in advance. The results show which procedures hold up, which ones fail under pressure, and whether staff report suspicious contact, so training and processes can be improved.
How does a phishing simulation work?
A phishing simulation sends approved, realistic emails to selected staff and records what happens next. Each message leads to a controlled landing page that logs a click or a form submission without storing real passwords. Results show who opened, clicked, submitted, or reported the email, and a click can trigger short training right away.
Will employees who click be punished or named?
That decision belongs to your organization, but testing is most useful when results guide training rather than discipline. Results are reported by role or department unless you decide otherwise, and any individual detail is shared only as you choose, with HR involved. Scenarios also avoid distressing themes such as pay, layoffs, health, or family emergencies, so the test measures process rather than embarrassing people.
Can you test if our help desk would reset passwords for an impostor?
Yes, help desk testing checks whether a caller posing as an employee can talk staff into resetting a password or MFA factor without verifying who they are. Calls follow scripts your team has approved. If a reset is granted, your designated contact is told right away and the change is reversed with your IT team. Results show which verification steps held and which need strengthening.
Is it legal to record phone calls during a vishing test?
Recording phone calls during a vishing test depends on the law where each party is located, and Florida generally requires the consent of everyone on the call. For that reason, recording is used only when your counsel approves it and the written authorization addresses it. Without that approval, testers document each call with detailed notes instead. This is general information, not legal advice.
Explore Redbeard Security Services
- Security Assessment and Testing Services
- Physical Security Assessments
- Physical Penetration Testing
- Vulnerability Assessment Services
- Penetration Testing Services
- Mobile Application Penetration Testing
- Red Team and Attack Simulation
- AI Security Testing
- Cyber Threat and Incident Response
- Cybersecurity Advisory
- Contact Redbeard Intelligence and Investigations
Related services: OSINT investigations and cyber investigations.
See How Your Team Handles a Convincing Pretext
Social engineering testing turns a vague worry about phishing and phone scams into measured results your training can act on. Every campaign is approved in writing, scenario by scenario. Call (888) 564-8300 or email contact@redbeardpi.com to plan a test.
What is the cost? | how does it work?
At Redbeard Intelligence & Investigations, we offer upfront, transparent pricing that reflects the specific details and complexity of each case. Instead of vague estimates or hidden charges, we provide clear, upfront pricing tailored to your investigation’s unique requirements—without unexpected fees, hidden costs, or additional unexpected expenses. Our goal is to offer efficient, high-quality investigative and intelligence solutions with transparency and peace of mind.
To begin an investigation, intelligence operation, or technical security assessment, the first step is a confidential consultation via phone or email with one of our experienced professionals. During this initial discussion, we will gather key details about your situation to determine the most effective strategy tailored to your needs. Whether you require private investigative services, intelligence gathering, or technical security solutions, our team will develop a customized plan designed to achieve your objectives. Based on the specific requirements of your case, we will then provide a transparent price quote and/or invoice for the cost of the services needed. Throughout the process, we ensure clear and consistent communication, keeping you informed of any significant developments. Upon completion, you will receive a comprehensive written report detailing our findings, along with any supporting evidence such as photos, video documentation, or technical security assessments.
Contact us through phone or email for an initial discussion and provide key details about your needs.
Based on the specific requirements of your case, you'll will receive a flat-rate price quote and invoice for the cost of the services needed.
With pricing and mutual terms accepted, payment will be collected for the predetermined costs, and you'll officially become our client.
Throughout the process, we keep you informed of any significant developments. Upon completion, you will receive a written report detailing our findings, along with any supporting evidence or documentation.
