Simulated Phishing Campaign

In our increasingly digital world, a crucial skill for all students is cybersecurity awareness. As students prepare for college and the workforce, they will be exposed to real-world threats like phishing attempts – deceptive emails designed to trick people into giving up personal information.

Because the student's school email address may be used for out-of-district communication, they will now be included in Rush-Henrietta’s ongoing phishing simulation campaign as a vital part of their digital literacy education. Students in grades 9-12 will receive these campaign emails.

How the Campaign Works

Beginning on October 6, 2025, and over the course of the school year, students will occasionally receive realistic, simulated phishing emails sent from the Rush-Henrietta IT department. When students receive a message they think is a phishing attempt, they should click the fish hook icon to the right of their email. Once they do, they will receive a message to confirm their response.

The Goal: The purpose of this campaign is to help students learn to identify, avoid, and report suspicious emails without fear of penalty. This hands-on experience is the best way to prepare them for the threats they will encounter outside of school.

The Result of a Click: If a student does click a link or download an attachment in one of these simulated emails, they will not compromise the school's security. Instead, they will be immediately redirected to a short, engaging training module. This just-in-time training will explain the red flags they missed and teach them what to look for next time.

The Outcome: The desired outcome is that students learn to ignore these suspicious messages without clicking anything and use the “phishing hook” icon in their email to dispose of it.

We believe that providing this safe environment for training is essential for building their digital defenses. This initiative focuses on teaching students to be skeptical, vigilant, and safe online.

Don’t forget, we have an exciting learning opportunity coming soon: AI Expedition! As Dr. Mullen previously shared, Rush-Henrietta is developing an AI Expedition designed for employees, families, and students in grades 7-12. This two-part journey via email - six days in October and another four days in January - will provide a basic understanding of what AI is, how it is used in daily life, and explain how our schools are integrating this technology. We are excited to take you on this learning adventure later this month!

Thank you for partnering with us to keep students safe and digitally prepared.

Sincerely,

Brian P. Sutton
Director of Technology & Data Protection Officer
Rush-Henrietta Central School District