Social Engineering

Unmask the Human Weak Spot in Your Security

Human Vulnerabilities, Exposed.

Social engineering tests mimic real attacker tactics like phishing, vishing, and onsite impersonation to expose human vulnerabilities and strengthen organizational awareness and response.

Breaking In Without Breaking a Sweat

Our social engineers gained access to the client’s facility with nothing more than charm and confidence. Once inside, we discreetly planted the Raxis Transporter — a custom device that gave us persistent remote access to their internal network. The test proved how a simple face-to-face breach can open the door to full digital compromise.

Social Engineering as a Service

Raxis Social Engineering as a Service, part of our PTaaS platform, delivers continuous testing of your organization’s human defenses. Through simulated phishing, vishing, and onsite campaigns, we identify social vulnerabilities, measure awareness over time, and provide real-time insights through the Raxis One portal to strengthen your security culture.

Attack the Trust, Not Just the Network

Even the most sophisticated technical defenses collapse when human trust is manipulated. We simulate real-world scenarios—like phishing campaigns and physical infiltration—to expose where your human defenses falter.

From Initial Access to Full Compromise

We don’t stop at the breach. Whether planting remote devices via cloned badges or probing your VPN with stolen credentials, our goal is to realistically demonstrate how a minor slip turns into a major incident.

Proof You Can Act On

Receive attack-vivid reports and guided remediation tailored for both technical teams and leadership—so you can fix what matters, fast.

Training That Actually Sticks

A fail in our tests often means stronger awareness moving forward. We help you turn every test outcome into a teaching moment, not a blame game.

Even the Toughest Security Defenses Will Fall Victim

Social Engineering techniques often get our foot in the door to launch exploitation tools or plant a remote access device.

Physical Social Engineering

We study your people and processes, then run realistic social engineering scenarios — from fake credentials to voice only approaches — to reveal gaps and help your security team harden the most exposed areas.

Phishing Attacks

Phishing remains one of the most effective attack vectors. We send realistic phishing emails to test your staff, measure how well your security awareness program works, and, if authorized, attempt limited follow on access using captured credentials. You get a detailed report showing who clicked, what happened next, and targeted training recommendations so your people stop falling for the same tricks.

Specialized Phishing

Raxis uses spear phishing, vishing (voice phishing), and smishing (SMS phishing), individually or combined, to test real world susceptibility. We simulate targeted emails, phone calls, and text messages to see what information employees will reveal and measure your defenses, then deliver focused remediation and training guidance.

Follow Through: Finish the Hack

We do more than gain entry. In physical social engineering, we may clone employee badges to access buildings and secure areas like data centers. Once inside, we can install a device to demonstrate remote access to your internal systems, proving the real impact of a breach and guiding effective remediation.

How Hackers Bypass Physical Security

Raxis Chief Penetration Testing Officer Brian Tant demonstrates how simple tools like badge scanners and hidden cameras can be used to infiltrate secure facilities—revealing just how vulnerable physical security can be without proper defenses.

Raxis Hack Stories

Confidence is King

Our stories are based on real events encountered by Raxis engineers; however, some details have been altered or omitted to protect our customers’ identities.

When our elite penetration testing team dives into physical social engineering, whether it’s a laser-focused PSE test or a full-throttle Red Team operation, confidence is our secret weapon. We’re often stunned at how many people accept that we belong simply because we act like we do. Even more jaw-dropping? The number of folks who spot something fishy but don’t raise the alarm. As our tests ramp up, we push the boundaries with bolder moves, daring employees to call us out. Spoiler: they rarely do.

On one assignment our team was tasked with infiltrating a sleek, big-city high-rise with a break room so stocked with free eats that employees practically lived there for breakfast and lunch. Our team did their homework, scoping out every detail before arriving onsite. On a bustling Monday morning, they slipped in one by one, tailgating through turnstiles and blending into crowded elevators before the guard could figure out what was happening. Each operative strolled onto the target floor, flashed a charming wave at the receptionist, and proceeded to regroup in that legendary break room. Then they split up to take a look around the floor. Unlocked workstations? Check. Sensitive customer documents left on a printer? Check. After gathering proof for the customer’s report, they glided out one by one, leaving no trace and not a single soul batted an eye.

In another operation, our team targeted an office secured by key card access. The plan? Pure audacity. They grabbed coffees from a local shop across the street and loitered by the parking lot entrance just before the 5pm rush. Sipping their coffee inconspicuously, our team chatted like they were waiting for a buddy to clock out. No aggressive moves, just casual vibes. Sure enough, several employees held the door for them. As the crowd thinned, they offered their thanks and slipped inside. For an hour, they laid low under a conference room table, biding their time before exploring. What did they find? A treasure trove of vulnerabilities: unlocked file cabinets stuffed with sensitive customer data, passwords scrawled on notes tucked under keyboards, a visitor badge stashed in a desk drawer, open network ports perfect for planting a network implant device (of course they did that), and even keys to the data center left in an unlocked cabinet. Our team made use of those keys to drop a second device for good measure. The cleaning crew? They just waved as our team worked. Hours later, our team sauntered out, armed with a visitor badge for a potential encore and leaving devices in place for further exfiltration.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are installing new systems or performing new training now, then we recommend you complete those before beginning your PSE. Usually, however, there’s no time like the present. If you have known issues that you haven’t corrected, it may be a budget issue. If so, a Raxis PSE engagement can give you the proof your management team needs to see that the changes are a high priority. In addition, while you may be aware of general weaknesses, a Raxis PSE assessment can uncover hidden vulnerabilities and provide a comprehensive evaluation of your physical security posture.

We always recommend that our social engineering tests be used as training instead of as judgements. The employee who falls for a Raxis phish is often the least likely to fall for a malicious phish. Our social engineering engagements all provide clear reports of our attacks and how your team performed. When you use these reports as training tools and reward employees who report suspicious behavior and communications, your whole team becomes stronger.

By demonstrating how an actual attack would occur, cybersecurity experts can identify and seal vulnerabilities before they’re exploited. Employees who experience simulated social engineering attacks are more likely to take security recommendations seriously. This awareness training helps prioritize response efforts.

Social engineering assessments address vulnerabilities that are often overlooked in technical security strategies. By simulating real-world attack scenarios, they uncover weaknesses in physical security measures and employee awareness. They complement traditional cybersecurity measures by identifying human vulnerabilities that could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information and internal systems. The insights gained from these assessments allow companies to develop targeted awareness training programs, refine their information security policies, and strengthen their overall defense against social engineering threats. Ultimately, integrating social engineering assessments into a broader cybersecurity strategy helps organizations create a multi-layered defense that addresses both technical and human aspects of security.

As the customer, you control the scope of your social engineering assessments to target any subset of users you want to test. While it may be tempting to exclude management from a social engineering assessment, doing so could significantly undermine the effectiveness and validity of the assessment. The purpose of such tests is to evaluate an organization’s overall security posture, including that of its leadership. Management often has access to sensitive information and systems, making them prime targets for real-world social engineering attacks. By excluding them, you may miss critical vulnerabilities and create a false sense of security. Additionally, management’s participation can serve as a powerful example, demonstrating the importance of security awareness across all levels of the organization. Instead of excluding management, consider working closely with key stakeholders to communicate the test’s objectives, ensure buy-in, and establish clear boundaries and expectations. This approach can help alleviate concerns while maintaining the integrity and value of the social engineering assessment.

A social engineering assessment is a simulated test that mimics actual threats, such as malicious email attachments and telephone pretexting. It helps organizations identify vulnerabilities and assess their level of readiness against social engineering attacks. Anyone concerned about their organization’s security should consider a social engineering assessment.

Social engineering attacks evolve rapidly, taking advantage of the latest trends. An assessment constructs multiple scenarios and threat pretexts, customizing solutions for your organization. With this knowledge, employees can engage in online activities confidently, knowing they’re fully protected.

Performing social engineering assessments at least annually demonstrates a proactive commitment to cybersecurity and data protection. By identifying vulnerabilities and implementing recommended improvements, organizations show stakeholders that they take security seriously, fostering trust among clients, employees, suppliers, and investors. This is crucial for gaining the trust of clients, employees, suppliers, and stakeholders. For financial companies and those handling sensitive customer data, meeting regulatory requirements (such as FFIEC) is a crucial step in displaying dedication to protecting valuable data. By taking proactive measures to strengthen security, organizations can demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding confidential information and fostering a secure environment for all involved parties.

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