Phishing, Vishing, and Deepfakes: The Three Faces of Modern Social Engineering

Social engineering has evolved dramatically over the past decade. No longer confined to suspicious emails with poor grammar and generic threats, today’s attacks are smart, convincing, and often hyper-personalized. Cybercriminals now use artificial intelligence and publicly available data to craft manipulative scenarios that can deceive even the most vigilant employees. In fact, fraud losses from generative AI tools are projected to hit $40 billion annually in the U.S. by 2027, as estimated by Deloitte.

At Brightside AI, we recognize that effective cybersecurity awareness training must address all forms of social engineering—not just phishing. That’s why our simulation platform includes phishing, vishing, and deepfake scenarios, each designed to mirror the most realistic and dangerous attacks employees face today.

In this article, we’ll break down the differences between these three types of social engineering, explain why each is a critical threat vector, and show how Brightside AI helps organizations prepare through targeted simulations.

What is Social Engineering?

Social engineering is the use of psychological manipulation to trick individuals into revealing confidential information or performing actions that compromise security. Modern attackers use AI, public data, and multi-channel tactics to make these attacks more convincing than ever.

What is Phishing?

Phishing is the most common form of social engineering and involves fraudulent messages—usually emails—designed to trick recipients into clicking a malicious link, entering credentials, or downloading malware.

But phishing has changed.

Attackers now use AI to generate messages that sound human, are based on real personal information, and reference actual company activities or events. This type of phishing, known as spear phishing, is much harder to detect.

Some phishing campaigns now incorporate elements like:

• Real names of coworkers, bosses, or clients

• References to recent meetings, projects, or news events

• Fake login portals that perfectly mimic real services like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace

Brightside AI’s Phishing Simulations:

• Emails crafted using real data from employees’ public digital footprint

• Role-specific scenarios, from interns to executives

• Simulations of credential harvesting, fake file sharing, invoice fraud, and more

• Behavioral tracking and detailed feedback per interaction

Phishing training must go beyond generic examples. Our simulations make employees think twice—even about emails that seem completely legitimate.

What is Vishing?

Vishing (voice phishing) is a form of attack where fraudsters use phone calls to trick victims into revealing sensitive information, providing remote access, or making unauthorized financial transactions.

In a vishing attack, urgency and authority are the tools of choice. Phrases like "Your account has been compromised," or "The CEO needs this urgently" create panic and override judgment.

Today’s vishing attacks can use voice cloning and caller ID spoofing to impersonate real colleagues or IT support. When someone hears a familiar voice asking for urgent help, it becomes incredibly difficult to distinguish fact from fiction.

Brightside AI’s Vishing Simulations:

• AI-generated phone calls mimicking known voices and organizational context

• Pre-recorded or dynamic call scripts based on employee data

• Simulation of common vishing tactics like tech support scams or CEO fraud

• Safe, monitored environments to test and improve employee reactions

Voice-based attacks exploit our instinct to trust a familiar tone. Vishing simulations train employees to recognize manipulation even when it sounds real.

What are Deepfake Attacks?

Deepfakes are synthetic videos or audio clips generated by AI to impersonate real people. They can be shockingly convincing and are increasingly used in cybercrime to create false authority, urgency, or trust.

Imagine receiving a video message from your CEO asking for an urgent wire transfer. You see their face. You hear their voice. Would you question it?

In a corporate context, deepfakes are dangerous because they exploit two things employees are trained to trust: visual cues and internal hierarchy. A deepfake from a recognizable leader can bypass even the most well-designed verification protocols.

Brightside AI’s Deepfake Simulations:

• Custom deepfake videos of executives or colleagues (with consent)

• Simulated emergency requests, HR announcements, or financial directives

• Used to train employees on visual and audio deception

• Debriefing with explanations on how the video was generated and what to watch for

These simulations demystify deepfakes and teach employees to verify before acting.

Why All Three Matter

The future of cyberattacks is multi-channel. Threat actors don’t just rely on one form of deception—they combine them. An attack might begin with a phishing email, followed by a vishing call, and closed with a deepfake video to finalize the scam.

Without exposure to each type of attack, your team may be blind to the total threat landscape.

Each simulation type teaches employees a different cybersecurity reflex:

• Phishing: Question content and verify links.

• Vishing: Be cautious of voice-based urgency.

• Deepfakes: Never trust visual/audio alone—always authenticate.

That’s why Brightside AI offers a complete training ecosystem. We’re the only platform that:

• Integrates employee-specific data into all three simulation types

• Offers ongoing, adaptive training across multiple communication channels

• Provides analytics to track progress and identify high-risk individuals

Together, phishing, vishing, and deepfake simulations build a truly resilient workforce.

Learn more in the article "Cybersecurity Training for the Modern Threat Landscape".

A Closer Look at Realistic Threat Scenarios

To illustrate the power of Brightside AI’s simulations, consider the following examples:

• Scenario 1 (Phishing): An employee receives an email from their manager referencing a real project they discussed in a public Slack channel. The email includes a link to a "shared file" requiring login credentials. The page is an exact replica of the company’s internal tool.

• Scenario 2 (Vishing): A new hire gets a call from someone claiming to be from IT, using a cloned voice from a real webinar. They’re told their computer is infected and asked to download remote access software.

• Scenario 3 (Deepfake): An executive assistant receives a video message that appears to be from the CFO, authorizing a wire transfer. The video references real financial figures from a recent internal presentation.

Each of these scenarios is based on real tactics observed in the wild. Brightside AI’s simulations give employees a risk-free space to make—and learn from—mistakes.

Learn more about phishing personalization.

How Brightside AI Builds Your Cybersecurity Awareness Program?

We don’t just run simulations. We work with your organization to build a continuous learning culture. Our platform includes:

• Hyper-personalized simulations that are based on your employees’ data

• Real-time dashboards to monitor organizational risk

• Integrations with existing LMS or security platforms

• An entire database of free cyber courses available for you and your team

Our system adapts over time, learning from employee responses to deliver smarter training. We make cybersecurity awareness a daily habit, not a once-a-year checklist.

Get Ahead of the Threat

Cybersecurity isn’t just about firewalls and antivirus—it’s about people. And people are being targeted through more sophisticated means every day.

Brightside AI is helping organizations stay ahead by training employees in the very tactics criminals are using right now. Whether it’s an email, a phone call, or a deepfake video—your team needs to be ready.

Let’s build a smarter, more secure workplace. Together.

Visit brside.com or reach out to schedule a live demo.

Stay prepared. Stay protected. Stay on the Brightside.