I need to tell you something that most executives don’t want to hear:

A lot of the things you’ve been paying for in the name of security – phishing training, security assessments, even penetration tests – might actually be making your company less secure. That’s not an exaggeration. I’ve seen it over and over again, and the numbers back it up.

You’ve been told, “Train your people not to click. Do regular tests. Run assessments with your IT provider.” It feels like you’re doing the right things. It looks responsible on paper. But here’s the catch: these “best practices” can create blind spots, complacency, and even new security gaps that you don’t see coming until it’s too late. And if something bad happens? Those same steps could end up being used as evidence against you.

Phishing Training: The Comfort Blanket That Isn’t Keeping You Warm

Let’s start with phishing. In 2025, phishing isn’t just one of the ways attackers get in – it is the number one way they break into businesses like yours. IBM’s latest data confirmed it. Phishing has overtaken stolen credentials. So naturally, the industry doubled down on phishing training. Simulations. Videos. Email tests.

It sounds good, doesn’t it? Simulate an attack, show people what happens, train them not to do it again. Problem solved. Except it doesn’t work.

The University of California, San Diego studied this exact thing. They found that simulated phishing campaigns don’t change long-term behavior. People stop clicking for a while, but within months they’re right back at it. Even worse, for some groups, the repeated training actually made them more likely to click.

Why?  Because nothing bad happens when you click in a simulation. You get a little pop-up, maybe a video, maybe a stern talking-to. Then you go back to your day. You don’t feel the consequence.

It’s the security equivalent of telling a kid not to touch the stove while the stove is cold. There’s no lesson there.  So the same users keep clicking. And you get to deal with the fallout.

The Hidden Danger in Security Assessments

But let’s say you’ve moved past just training. You bring in your IT provider or an outside company to do a vulnerability assessment or a pen test.

This is where most leaders feel like they’re being proactive. “We had a test done. We’re covered.”

Here’s the part no one tells you: If that test required you to hand over administrator credentials, you may have just opened a bigger hole than you had before.

Here’s how:

Those credentials often get stored in logs or cached on a machine. They might get left behind in a temporary file. And once the test is over, those credentials don’t magically disappear. They linger.

If even one of those cached credentials leaks – or gets stolen during an unrelated breach – you’ve just handed an attacker the keys to your entire system.

And if a lawsuit ever happens after a breach? A lawyer can look at that test and say:

“So let me get this straight. You gave someone the keys to your system. You introduced a security gap. And you paid for it. Then that gap was exploited. That’s negligence.”

What you thought was making you safer has just made you more liable.

This Is How Businesses Get Blindsided

This is the trap I see business leaders fall into every day.

They think:

  • “We did phishing training. We’re covered.”
  • “We did a pen test. We’re covered.”

But what they’ve really done is:

  • Trained their people to pass a simulation that doesn’t change behavior.
  • Created new risks by giving up administrator credentials during testing.

And all of it can come back to bite you.

There Has to Be a Better Way (And There Is)

I got tired of watching businesses get burned by doing the “right” things. I wanted to solve these two problems – phishing and risky assessments – in a way that actually makes you safer instead of just checking a box.

And that’s where our patented ClicktheLink process came from.

A New Way to Fight Phishing and Assess Risk: U.S. Patent No. 12,373,572

Here’s the simple version of how it works:

Instead of handing over passwords or running a training module, everything starts with a link.

A user clicks a secure link. That click does three things at once:

  1. Real-time consequence.
    The moment someone clicks, we don’t give them a pop-up. We show them, in a way they’ll remember, what that action could have cost.
  1. Network impact analysis.
    That same click kicks off a deep, credential-free scan of the environment. No admin credentials. No stored passwords. No extra exposure.
  1. Proof you can use.
    Every click generates evidence – real, documentable proof – that you can show to insurers, regulators, and yes, even a lawyer if it comes to that.

This is not just another phishing simulation. It’s a system that turns every click into a chance to make your team and your network stronger.

What Changes When You Stop Doing It the Old Way?

I’ll tell you what happens when businesses move to this model:

  • Users stop clicking because they finally feel the risk, instead of just watching a video about it.
  • The network gets safer every time someone makes a mistake, instead of less safe.
  • Leaders like you get real evidence that the risk is going down – instead of hoping it is.

And the best part? You never have to hand over an admin password again.

A Final Word

Here’s the truth. The old way isn’t working.

Phishing training alone isn’t stopping attacks. Handing over credentials for an assessment can make things worse. And the things you thought were protecting your company can be used against you if something goes wrong.

There’s a better way now.

With Galactic Advisors’ patented ClicktheLink process, every click stops being a liability and starts being an opportunity to make your business stronger.

No credentials. No complacency. No more doing the “right” things that actually make you less safe. Isn’t it time you stopped hoping and started proving your company is secure?