Plaid Evolves Security Training with Adaptive Security

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Introduction

With cyberattacks growing increasingly sophisticated, financial technology leaders must ensure their workforces are trained to recognize and resist advanced threats. Plaid, a foundational player in the fintech ecosystem, partnered with Adaptive Security to modernize its training program and build resilience against AI-powered social engineering tactics.

Customer Background

Plaid powers thousands of digital finance applications and plays a critical role in connecting consumers, developers, and financial institutions. As a company entrusted with sensitive financial data and relationships, security and compliance are non-negotiable pillars of its business.

"Naturally, security and compliance are core to our mission and employee training is a critical pillar of our overall security strategy."

Challenge

Plaid’s security team recognized the need to evolve beyond traditional training methods. They faced two core challenges:

1. Sophisticated Threat Landscape: Attackers increasingly use advanced tactics such as deepfakes to secure fraudulent remote jobs or impersonate executives across SMS, email, and even video.
2. Scalability and Relevance: The team required a solution that could rapidly generate customized training content tailored to Plaid’s unique context and deploy it at scale.

"What we needed was the ability to quickly generate and customize content that's highly relevant to Plaid and deploy it at scale."

Solution

Plaid adopted Adaptive Security’s awareness training and phishing simulation platform, leveraging its unique strengths to meet modern challenges:

• Realistic Deepfake Simulations: Employees were trained on cutting-edge scenarios, from fake video messages to AI-generated impersonations.
• Open Source Phishing Campaigns: Adaptive’s platform delivered open source–driven simulations, keeping training aligned with real-world attacker tactics.
• Rapid Customization: The ability to generate and tailor content in minutes ensured Plaid’s training remained timely and relevant.
• Frictionless Administration: Moving to Adaptive eliminated manual overhead and streamlined deployment across teams.

"What makes Adaptive especially powerful is the ability to generate realistic deep fake simulations and open source driven phishing campaigns, all natively within the platform and at a lightning speed."

Results

Since implementing Adaptive Security, Plaid has transformed its employee training program:

• Smarter Workforce: Employees now experience firsthand how attackers leverage deepfakes and multi-channel impersonation.
• Greater Engagement: Realistic simulations foster deeper understanding compared to traditional training approaches.
• Reduced Overhead: Administrative burdens were eliminated, freeing the security team to focus on higher-value initiatives.
• Resilient Culture: Adaptive has enabled Plaid to embed security awareness at every level of the organization.

"By moving our training program to Adaptive, we have eliminated administrative friction, equipped our teams with cutting edge tools, and built a smarter, more resilient security culture across the company."

Conclusion

For Plaid, Adaptive Security has become more than just a platform—it is a critical enabler of their mission. By combining rapid customization, advanced deepfake simulations, and OSINT phishing campaigns, Adaptive ensures Plaid stays ahead of attackers while strengthening its culture of security and compliance.