Systems and methods for simulated phishing attacks involving message threads

1. A method for simulating a phishing attack involving an email thread, the method comprising:

(a) selecting, by a simulation system using one or more thread selection parameters configured in the simulation system, an email thread from a plurality of email threads of an email system of an entity for use in a simulated phishing attack;

(b) generating, by the simulation system, a converted reply simulated phishing email to an email of the thread, the converted reply simulated phishing email generated to be from a user that is one of a recipient or a sender of one or more emails of the email thread; and

(c) communicating, by the simulation system, to a target user's email account, the converted reply simulated phishing email.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein (a) further comprises accessing, by the simulation system to identify the email thread, a user's email account, wherein the user is one of a recipient or a sender of one or more emails of the email thread.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein (a) further comprises one of forwarding, transferring, or copying to the simulation system, the email thread identified by an administrator of a mail server of the entity.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein (b) further comprises generating the converted reply simulated phishing email to prompt the target user to one of interact with one of a link or an attachment in the converted reply simulated phishing email, reply to the converted reply simulated phishing email, or forward the converted reply simulated phishing email.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein (b) further comprises accessing, by the simulation system, the user's email account to generate the converted reply simulated phishing email from the user's email account.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein (b) further comprises generating the converted reply email to remove all recipients or senders of the email thread from the converted reply email except the target user.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein (b) further comprises generating the converted reply email to display a correct name of recipients or senders of the email thread and an incorrect email address for the recipients and senders of the email thread.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying, by the simulation system, whether the target user one of interacts with the converted reply email, replies to the converted reply email or forwards the converted reply email.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising intercepting, by one or more rules of a server of the entity, any replies to or forwards of the converted reply email.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein (b) further comprise generating, by the simulation system, the converted reply email to appear as though it is communicated from the user's email account.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein (b) further comprises generating the converted reply email as one of a converted reply to a last email of the email thread, a converted reply to a first email of the email thread, or a converted reply to an email intermediary to a first email and a last email of the email thread.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein (a) further comprises selecting the email thread from the plurality of email threads based on the one or more thread selection parameters comprising one or more attributes of any of the following: the entity, one or more users that are one of a recipient or a sender of one or more emails of the email thread, subject matter of the email thread.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target user is one of a recipient or a sender of one or more emails of the email thread.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target user is a user that is not a recipient or a sender of one or more emails of the email thread.

15. A system for simulating a phishing attack involving an email thread, the system comprising:

a simulation system configured on one or more processors, coupled to memory and configured to:

select, using one or more thread selection parameters configured in the simulation system, an email thread from a plurality of email threads of an email system of an entity for use in a simulated phishing attack;

generate a converted reply simulated phishing email to an email of the email thread, the converted reply simulated phishing email generated to be from a user that is one of a recipient or a sender of one or more emails of the email thread; and

communicate to a target user's email account, the converted reply simulated phishing email.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the simulation system is further configured to identify the email thread, a user's email account, wherein the user is one of a recipient or a sender of one or more emails of the email thread.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the simulation system is further configured to one of forward, transfer, or copy to the simulation system, the email thread identified by an administrator of a mail server of the entity.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the simulation system is further configured to generate the converted reply simulated phishing email to prompt the target user to one of interact with one of a link or an attachment in the converted reply simulated phishing email, reply to the converted reply simulated phishing email, or forward the converted reply simulated phishing email.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the simulation system is further configured to access the user's email account to generate the converted reply simulated phishing email from the user's email account.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the simulation system is further configured to generate the converted reply email to remove all recipients or senders of the email thread from the converted reply email except the target user.

21. The system of claim 11 , wherein the simulation system is further configured to generate the converted reply email to display a correct name of recipients or senders of the email thread and an incorrect email address for the recipients and senders of the email thread.

22. The system of claim 11 , wherein the simulation system is further configured to identify whether the target user one of interacts with the converted reply email, replies to the converted reply email or forwards the converted reply email.

23. The system of claim 11 , wherein one or more rules of a server of the entity are configured to intercept any replies to or forwards of the converted reply email.

24. The system of claim 11 , wherein the simulation system is further configured to generate the converted reply email to appear as though it is communicated from the user's email account.

25. The system of claim 11 , wherein the simulation system is further configured to generate the converted reply email as one of a converted reply to a last email of the email thread, a converted reply to a first email of the email thread, or a converted reply to an email intermediary to a first email and a last email of the email thread.

26. The system of claim 11 , wherein the simulation system is further configured to select the email thread from the plurality of email threads based on the one or more thread selection parameters comprising one or more attributes of any of the following: the entity, one or more users that are one of a recipient or a sender of one or more emails of the email thread, subject matter of the email thread.

27. The system of claim 11 , wherein the target user is one of a recipient or a sender of one or more emails of the email thread.

28. The system of claim 11 , wherein the target user is a user that is not a recipient or a sender of one or more emails of the email thread.