October is Cyber Security Awareness Month. It is a time to promote safe practices around users’ activities online.

In September 2017, Acadia University’s Technology Services implemented a phishing awareness program, using the product KnowBe4.

There are several phases in the program to raise cyber awareness.  In Phase I phishing emails were sent randomly to employees. The messages mimicked a real, but simple, threat.  If a staff or faculty member clicked on a link or attachment contained in the test emails, they received a response indicating “web-page blocked”. The results of Phase I were encouraging, but indicate there is more work to do; five (5) % of employees clicked on the link/attachment.

We are now in Phase II: Education and Training. All faculty and staff members received an email pointing to a KnowBe4 training campaign. The campaign includes links to various training videos.

Following the training, Technology Services will send a series of advanced phishing emails. There will be a detailed analysis of the uptake of the training and its impact on the subsequent and on-going phishing campaigns. The overall results will continue to be provided to the campus community.