Positive Phishing: Building a culture of cybersecurity in schools

What is positive phishing?

Positive phishing refers to the ethical practice of running phishing simulations in a way that focuses on education, empowerment, and support rather than entrapment. Unlike malicious phishing, which is designed to deceive and exploit, positive phishing aims to teach. These simulations are controlled, transparent exercises where staff are sent simulated phishing emails to help them recognise phishing attempts in a safe environment.
By framing these simulations positively, staff are not penalised or embarrassed for their mistakes but instead are provided with the training and resources they need to improve their cybersecurity skills. It’s about building resilience and understanding rather than creating a culture of fear.

Why We, at Secure Schools, believe it's important

The importance of positive phishing cannot be understated, especially in educational institutions where the stakes of a successful phishing attack can be high. Phishing is one of the most common ways cybercriminals breach security systems, and schools are prime targets due to the sensitive data they handle. Positive phishing provides a non-invasive way to help staff recognise phishing attempts without creating a culture of fear.
By focusing on education rather than entrapment, positive phishing ensures that staff are aware of phishing tactics and motivated to act responsibly when they encounter real threats. Staff become partners in the school’s cybersecurity efforts rather than feeling like they are being tested or judged. As mentioned in Secure Schools' Ethical phishing guidelines, it's essential to "build a culture of trust, knowledge, and vigilance" rather than resorting to punitive measures.

The culture which positive phishing builds in schools

When positive phishing is implemented correctly, it can help create a supportive and proactive culture of cybersecurity within the school. Here’s how:

1. Trust and openness

One of the key outcomes of a positive phishing approach is the trust it builds between the IT team, and staff at all levels. Informing staff about the purpose of phishing simulations and allowing them to “opt-out” if they have concerns fosters transparency. When staff trust the process, they are more likely to participate actively and learn from the experience, knowing they are not being set up to fail​.

2. A learning environment

Much like traditional safeguarding practices in schools, cybersecurity awareness thrives in an environment where learning is prioritised over punishment. Positive phishing ensures that staff view phishing simulations as an educational tool. Mistakes are seen as opportunities for growth, not grounds for reprimand. Hopefully, this aligns with the school's broader educational ethos, making cybersecurity part of everyday learning rather than a separate,anxiety-inducing task.

3. Collaboration over competition

Phishing simulations, when framed positively, encourage collaboration among staff. Rather than creating a competitive environment where people try to "outsmart" phishing tests, a positive phishing program encourages sharing knowledge and tips. Staff support one another in improving their ability to recognise phishing attempts, which ultimately makes the school more secure as a whole.

4. Resilience building

Resilience in the face of cyber threats is key. Schools that implement positive phishing foster a culture where staff are equipped to handle phishing attacks not just because they’ve been tested but because they’ve been taught. By regularly running these simulations in a non-punitive way, staff can build confidence in their abilities to recognise and respond to phishing attempts over time.

Conclusion

Positive phishing is about more than just sending out simulated phishing emails; it's about creating a culture of security awareness and collaboration in schools. When staff feel supported and educated rather than penalised, they are more likely to engage actively in cybersecurity efforts, making the school safer for everyone.

At Secure Schools, we believe that phishing simulations should always be ethical, transparent, and educational. By taking this positive approach, we can build a stronger, more resilient school community where cybersecurity is everyone's responsibility.

How we can help

At Secure Schools, we provide you with the tools to allow your staff to report our phishing simulations, closing the loop on the educational piece of these simulations.

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To get started with our phishing simulations, or any of our other Secure Schools products - check out our pricing page here: https://www.secureschools.com/en-au/pricing 

Links to research

The concept of positive phishing aligns with recent research on improving cybersecurity awareness through ethical and educational approaches to phishing simulations. Several studies support the educational benefits of simulated phishing, demonstrating that when phishing training is framed as a learning opportunity rather than a test, it can significantly enhance staff engagement and knowledge retention:
Simulation-Based Phishing Awareness: A study explored a web-based application employing simulation-based training and embedded learning tools to increase phishing awareness, showing that simulations improve users' ability to detect and respond to phishing attempts by enhancing engagement and knowledge retention (Ahmad et al., 2023).

Role of Transparency in Simulations: Research on educational games and phishing simulations highlights that transparency and non-punitive approaches foster better participation. In particular, casual simulations with clear objectives help staff learn without fear of judgment (Dixon et al., 2019).