Remote Social Engineering Penetration Testing
Putting Security Awareness Training to the Test
That users are the weak link when it comes to cybersecurity is a generally accepted truth. Very few technical controls can compensate for the intricacies of human behavior such as a person’s natural tendency to trust another person. Remote social engineering exploits the “scripts” of human interaction — how people typically interact and what they expect to happen in a given situation — rather than exclusively leveraging technical security vulnerabilities to test the effectiveness of security awareness training, stated security policies, and processes such as incident response.
Reasonable Security
What is a Remote Social Engineering Penetration Test?
How does HALOCK’s Security Awareness Evaluation work?
A Remote Social Engineering Penetration Test validates how effective your user security awareness training and frontline email defenses (spam/malware filters) actually are. HALOCK’s Security Awareness Evaluation is a controlled, realistic assessment that uses carefully crafted phishing emails—the most common attacker vector—containing the kinds of red flags trained users should spot. Those messages are designed to bait recipients into clicking simulated malicious links or taking other actions, so we can measure whether training and controls prevent compromise.
Important: This Security Awareness Evaluation is the typical first step in HALOCK’s broader offensive engagements — it feeds into and supports HALOCK’s Adversary Simulation, Assumed Breach Test, and Red Team Test. HALOCK Security Labs does not offer this evaluation as a one‑off, stand‑alone service when it is intended to seed those larger, goal‑driven exercises.
Why should we conduct a Remote Social Engineering Penetration Test?
Targeting employees is a fast‑growing route attackers use to gain access. Trusted staff often have legitimate access to sensitive systems and data—so if an attacker compromises a user account, they inherit whatever that employee can reach. Controlled spear‑phishing exercises test both employee security awareness and frontline defenses (spam and malware filters) in realistic conditions. Because many security standards and regulations require effective awareness training, HALOCK’s Security Awareness Evaluation provides the most reliable way to confirm your program actually works.
Why should HALOCK perform our Remote Social Engineering Penetration Test?
HALOCK has deep experience assessing how well organizations follow security awareness policies and procedures. For more than two decades we’ve run thousands of remote social engineering tests across industries and company sizes. Our penetration testing team holds advanced certifications, uses proven methodologies, and has the labs and tooling required to deliver accurate, actionable, and detailed results that leadership and security teams can trust.
– Children’s Hospital
How do I choose which employees to test?
You don’t—because real attackers don’t ask permission. In the real world, adversaries choose targets strategically. While there may be a few employees you must exclude for legal or operational reasons, every remaining employee should be considered a potential target. Attackers typically build diverse lists spanning business units, roles, and functions so they can probe for weaknesses and pivot from one disclosure to the next; they rarely target everyone at once to avoid detection. To simulate that realistic behavior, HALOCK’s remote social engineering experts select targets from the provided employee list and run focused, intelligence‑driven campaigns that mirror how actual attackers operate.
A Comprehensive Methodology for Social Engineering Assessment
HALOCK’s remote social engineering penetration testing follows a structured, realistic methodology that mirrors how actual attackers operate. This evaluation is typically the first step in HALOCK’s Adversary Simulation, Assumed Breach Test, and Red Team Test—providing the foundation for larger, goal-driven offensive security engagements. HALOCK Security Labs does not offer this as a one-off service; it is designed to feed intelligence and outcomes into subsequent advanced testing.
1. Information Gathering
Initial reconnaissance collects publicly available and internal information needed to craft credible, targeted messaging. This includes understanding the organization’s services, relationships across business units, employee or corporate-specific details, and other data an attacker could leverage.
2. Infrastructure Preparation
Systems to transport emails, track responses, and host content are deployed and configured to safely emulate attack conditions while capturing results.
3. Campaign Preparation
Target lists are grouped, sequenced, and scheduled. Campaign batches are configured, and all preparatory tasks are completed to ensure realistic testing.
4. Campaign Launch
Initial test messages are sent to gauge user response behaviors, identify technical controls, and fine-tune attack methods, ensuring that subsequent stages accurately reflect potential attacker behavior.
5. Initial Exploits
Once sessions are established, baseline access is pursued through simulated payloads, scripted actions, and command-and-control techniques. Secondary targets within the network are identified, and persistence is established to simulate realistic attacker progression.
6. Secondary Exploits
Testing attempts to expand access across connected systems, bypass user controls, exploit internal weaknesses, leverage excessive user privileges, and compromise additional systems—mirroring the lateral movement of real adversaries.
7. Exfiltration
Attempts are made to locate valuable data stored in local repositories, mapped drives, databases, and file-sync folders to simulate how an attacker would gather sensitive information.
8. Disengaging
All sessions are safely terminated, evidence for reporting is gathered, and follow-up contact is prevented after the campaign concludes.
Deliverables
Penetration Test Report
The complete results are delivered in a content-rich report that includes:
Background: An overview of the purpose, scope, methodology, and timing of the remote social engineering penetration test.
Summary of Findings: Key results at a glance, including critical vulnerabilities, recurring issues, and high-priority areas requiring remediation.
Detailed Findings: Step-by-step documentation of each vulnerability observed impacts, remediation recommendations, evidence of exploits, and reference materials.
Scope and Methodology: Detailed recaps of the systems, targets, and methodologies used—essential for auditors or compliance purposes.
Supplemental Content: Guidance for post-assessment activities, including recommended next steps to enhance security awareness programs and overall defense posture.
Note: The insights from this assessment often serve as the intelligence basis for HALOCK’s Adversary Simulation, Assumed Breach Test, and Red Team Test..
KEEPING YOU INFORMED ON CYBERSECURITY NEWS, BREACHES, and TRENDS
Cybersecurity Awareness Posters
HALOCK, a trusted penetration testing company headquartered in Schaumburg, IL, near Chicago, advises clients on reasonable security strategies, risk management, and compliance throughout the US.
