What are "Link Checkers"?
These "link checkers" are systems that automatically call up a link (or URL) and/or files from phishing mails.
In addition to the term "Link Checker," there are related terms such as URL Filtering, URL Rewriting Systems, and Link Validators (e.g. Cisco Ironport). These security systems examine links for malware, generating a click event at Hornetsecurity and thereby affecting the ESI Score. At Hornetsecurity, we refer to such systems as "Clickers".
In general, many security programs verify URLs to identify potentially dangerous links and files before they are opened by users. This serves to ensure the security and integrity of online communication and to detect potential threats early on.
How do clickers affect phishing simulations?
The ESI Score, a crucial indicator for evaluating phishing simulations, assesses users' responses to potential phishing attacks. It is crucial that every click on a malicious link or file in the simulated phishing email is executed by a real user. Through the interactions of real users, the ESI Score can accurately reflect your company's IT security awareness.
Link Checkers, on the other hand, automatically check links, open files, and execute macros within them. While they capture one or more clicks, they only transmit one click directly to our system, leading to incorrect data in the ESI Score calculation.
How can I identify and eliminate such clicking systems to correctly calculate the ESI score again?
Security programs, data centers, or other systems that generate clickers are referred to as "Clicking Systems." To more effectively identify these clicking systems, we offer you the option to provide IP log information. With these detailed pieces of information, you can analyze which IP addresses generated a click event. You can request this information from our support team.
Furthermore, such security systems have integrated whitelisting features. This is an effective way to properly control the use of our SAS services and eliminate clicking systems, thus restoring the statistics.