This article explains the maximum allowed duration for Phishing and Ransomware simulation campaigns, the reasons for this limitation, and the available alternatives to extend the execution period through multiple consecutive campaigns.
Maximum duration of simulation campaigns
In SMARTFENSE, the maximum allowed duration for a Phishing or Ransomware simulation campaign is 4 days.
This limitation is designed so that simulations align with behaviors observed in real attacks.
Reasons for the duration limitation
Attackers have reduced the time during which their phishing campaigns remain active on the same domain. This practice makes detection and blocking by security tools more difficult.
SMARTFENSE replicates this behavior to:
maintain the realism of the simulations
prevent users from becoming accustomed to excessively prolonged campaigns
Additionally, extending the duration of a simulation increases the likelihood that the URL used in the campaign will be detected and added to blacklists.
If this happens, users might stop receiving or accessing the simulation content, which would affect the validity of the collected statistics.
How to simulate longer campaigns
If you need to cover a period longer than 4 days, you can schedule multiple consecutive campaigns.
For example:
Create a first campaign with the maximum duration of 4 days.
Schedule a second campaign to start immediately after the previous one ends.
Repeat this pattern according to the total time you want to cover.
Group campaigns if you want to view them in a single report.
To group campaigns of the same component in the Calendar, the grouped campaigns will be displayed as a single entity.
How to group campaigns
- Select the campaigns by checking the checkbox.
- Click the Group Campaigns button.
This strategy allows maintaining the continuity of the simulation without compromising the quality of the results or the realism of the scenario.
Additional information
You can find more information about the duration of phishing simulations in the related documentation available in the SMARTFENSE knowledge base.
💡 Best practices
Plan long-duration campaigns in advance to properly schedule consecutive simulations without causing overlaps.
Use different templates or scenarios between consecutive campaigns to prevent users from identifying repetitive patterns.
Monitor the statistics of each campaign separately to detect possible blocking or filtering of the simulation URL.
🏷️ Suggested tags
campaigns, phishing, ransomware, simulations, campaign duration, planning