Simulated Phishing Contextualization via Locale Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing simulated phishing campaigns often fail to appear relevant to employees located in different countries, speaking different languages, and having diverse cultural backgrounds, leading to reduced effectiveness in training employees to recognize phishing attacks.
Innovation Solution
The system contextualizes simulated phishing communications by modifying or replacing content based on language and locale, using a template with content in a source language, identifying contextual parameters for target languages and locales, and translating and localizing the content to create highly relevant and believable simulated phishing communications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a standard simulated phishing communication is used for all employees, then the device complexity and time required to create campaigns is reduced, but the relevance and effectiveness of the training for individual employees decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The simulated phishing campaign is segmented into modular components including template content, contextual parameters (language, locale, cultural elements), and dynamic variables. This allows the system to assemble customized campaigns by combining base templates with specific user-context elements, achieving both efficiency through reusability and adaptability through customization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining template structures, contextual parameters, and localization rules before campaign execution. Employee profiles with language preferences and cultural contexts are pre-configured, enabling rapid deployment of customized campaigns without time-consuming manual customization for each user.
2Reliability
If customized simulated phishing communications are created for each employee, then the relevance and believability of the training increases, but the time and resources required to create and deploy campaigns increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates customized phishing simulations by copying and adapting template structures rather than creating unique content from scratch for each employee. Template content is replicated and then modified with user-specific contextual parameters (name, location, language, role), significantly reducing creation time while maintaining customization benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves customization by changing parameters within a standardized template framework. Instead of redesigning entire campaigns, the system modifies specific parameters (language, locale, cultural references, employee name, job title) to create personalized versions, reducing creation time while maintaining relevance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If simulated phishing communications are translated and localized for different languages and cultures, then the believability and engagement of employees increases, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a universal template framework that can adapt to multiple languages and cultures through parameter substitution. A single template structure serves multiple functions across different linguistic and cultural contexts, reducing the need for separate campaign designs for each locale while maintaining cultural relevance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary layer (contextualization engine) that handles translation and cultural adaptation between the base template and the final customized campaign. This intermediary manages the complexity of multi-language and multi-cultural adaptations, shielding users from the underlying system complexity while delivering culturally relevant content.
4Ease of operation
If the simulated phishing communication appears highly relevant to the employee, then the likelihood of employee interaction increases, but the time required to create customized content increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring template structures, contextual parameters, and localization rules before campaign execution. Employee profiles with language preferences and cultural contexts are pre-configured, enabling rapid deployment of customized campaigns without time-consuming manual customization for each user.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically assembles customized phishing simulations by combining static template elements with dynamic user-specific parameters. This dynamic approach allows the system to generate relevant, personalized content automatically based on employee profiles, achieving high engagement without manual customization time.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are described for contextualizing a simulated phishing communication based at least on one of language and locale. Initially, a template for a simulated phishing communication is created with content in a source language. Then one or more contextual parameters for a user are identified. The one or more contextual parameters identify at least one of a target language and a target locale. The content of the simulated phishing communication is modified according to at least one of the target language and the target locale and the simulated phishing communication is communicated to one or more devices of the user with the content modified for at least one of the target language and the target locale.