In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, the wrong click can be devastating. Phishing attacks are still the most prolific and disruptive attack vector impacting organisations today. According to a 2025 UK Government survey, 85% of breaches or attacks involved phishing. This underscores the continued importance of building a robust culture of security across organisations of all sizes and industries. As Managed Service Providers (MSPs), you are the cybersecurity backbone for countless businesses, offering invaluable expertise, cost-effectiveness, and proactive defence. You understand the importance of comprehensive security, and most of you already provide essential services like security awareness training and standard phishing simulations.
But what if "good enough" isn't good enough anymore? It's time to acknowledge a critical gap. While standard simulations are vital for compliance and foundational awareness, their predictability and simplicity leave organisations vulnerable to truly targeted, adaptive real-world attacks. This is where Echo Secure AI’s Adversarial Phishing Simulations (APS) come in. APS are the next evolution of phishing simulations, applying offensive security principles to go beyond routine tick-boxing and simulate real threats. For MSPs, integrating our advanced simulations bolsters your client’s security posture while elevating your entire service offering and securing your position as a leader in cybersecurity.
Standard phishing simulations have played a crucial role in establishing a baseline for cybersecurity awareness. They are excellent for meeting compliance requirements and highlighting obvious red flags, such as poor grammar and generic links. They also provide a snapshot of how susceptible employees are to mass phishing attempts and offer metrics on click and reporting rates, helping identify areas for improvement.
However, phishing threats have evolved beyond the static, primitive attacks, which is why it's still the number one attack angle thirty-years on. Where traditional simulations fall short is in their inherent predictability and lack of real-world sophistication. Standard simulations rarely replicate the multi-vector, highly personalised nature of actual targeted attacks and don’t adapt in real-time based on user interactions, unlike live attackers who pivot their strategy. This means that over time, their effectiveness is reduced as users often catch on to the tell-tale signs of simulations. Users are taught to spot templates, not threats.
Phishing simulations that apply Offensive Security principles to replicate real threats authentically. That’s the essence of Adversarial Phishing Simulations (APS). These aren’t just automated email blasts, they are meticulously crafted, red team-inspired engagements designed to mimic the most sophisticated, persistent threat actors. Key characteristics that differentiate adversarial simulations include:
Realistic & Contextual Scenarios
We use our experience and expertise in offensive security to create realistic and effective APS. APS campaigns are tailored to specific organisations, departments and even individuals, leveraging publicly available information uncovered in OSINT reconnaissance to craft highly believable lures. This may involve impersonating internal communications, vendor requests, or MSP suppliers. To add a layer of authenticity to APS campaigns, Echo Secure AI uses dedicated domains for each organisation.
Adaptive & Multi-Phase Campaigns
We approach APS campaigns as a form of social engineering, actively seeking out weaknesses in organisations’ operations and workforce. APS evolves throughout the campaign. If a certain tactic fails, the “attacker” will adjust their approach and try a different vector, mirroring the persistence of real adversaries. For example, if the first phase of phishing emails from a supplier fails to get clicks, the “attacker” may, in the second phase, impersonate IT in voice calls to warn users of a known phishing attempt. This multi-stage attack chain progressively lures targets and promotes a more active vigilance in users than static simulations.
Multi-Vector Attacks
Campaigns can transcend email, incorporating SMS (smishing), voice calls (vishing), and QR codes (quishing), reflecting the complex attack chains used by advanced persistent threats. This provides a more comprehensive assessment of organisations’ security posture and awareness.
Dynamism
These aren't one-off tests; they are dynamic exercises that provide ongoing review into an organisation's attack surface and track progress. Just as attackers constantly evolve their tactics, APS campaigns continuously improve to uncover emerging vulnerabilities. Each subsequent APS adapts its content, complexity and focus based on insights from previous campaigns and the latest threat intelligence. This ensures organisations are proactively preparing for the ever-changing threat landscape.
This level of realism is no longer a luxury; it's a necessity. With the rise of AI-powered phishing tools, sophisticated social engineering, and an ever-increasing reliance on digital communication, the human element remains the most persistent vulnerability. Adversarial simulations expose these nuanced weaknesses before a real attacker does.
Stand out in a crowded market. While many MSPs offer standard phishing simulations, few provide the depth and realism of Adversarial Phishing Simulations (APS). Differentiate your services with a unique offering, allowing you to attract and retain more discerning clients.
Integrating APS into your service portfolio provides a powerful competitive advantage and tangible benefits for both you and your clients. APS enhances client value and positions your MSP as a proactive, cutting-edge security partner. Help your clients shift from reactive damage control to genuine proactive human defence, significantly reducing the likelihood of a successful breach.
The Echo Secure AI Portal provides clients with deep insights into each campaign and analyses trends over time. We pinpoint high-risk individuals or departments, uncover critical gaps in existing security awareness training, and rigorously test incident response procedures, revealing how quickly and effectively suspicious activities are reported and escalated.
As a standalone service or supplementary to basic compliance-driven simulations, APS represents a premium service for clients who already have a baseline security awareness. Expand your portfolio with a higher-value service and demonstrate your commitment to staying ahead of the curve. This not only enhances your profitability but also fosters deeper client relationships and builds trust, becoming an indispensable part of their long-term security strategy.
Echo Secure AI understands the unique challenges MSPs face. Our Adversarial Phishing Simulation (APS) platform is designed to be a logical extension of your existing offerings, empowering you to deliver elite-level phishing assessments without needing an in-house offensive security team.
The Echo Secure AI Portal is built for seamless integration and ease of use for MSPs and their clients. We have an intuitive five-step process for efficiently planning and scheduling phishing simulation campaigns. Our streamlined workflow ensures an effective simulation deployment, allowing you to quickly onboard clients and manage sophisticated campaigns with minimal overhead. This efficient management means our platform can scale with your business, whether you have five clients or five hundred, enabling efficient management of multiple, concurrent simulation campaigns.
Echo Secure AI is helmed by an experienced team with over ten years in the industry. As a partner, you benefit from our specialised knowledge in offensive security without the associated costs of hiring and training dedicated specialists. We offer clients comprehensive follow-up support with clear and actionable recommendations, including regular educational webinars, detailed post-simulation analysis, and technical debriefs with an Offensive Security Consultant. Our goal is not to catch clients out, but to empower them to harden their security posture.
In our partnership, we provide dedicated support and training for our platform to ensure your success in offering this premium service.
The future of cybersecurity is holistic, blending technological defences with resilient human factors. As an MSP, you have a unique opportunity to lead this charge. By complementing your current offerings with Echo Secure AI’s Adversarial Phishing Simulations, you're not just providing a service; you're building a more secure, more aware, and more resilient client base.
Contact Echo Secure AI for a partner demo and learn how our platform can elevate your service offerings today.