⚠️ Oops! You clicked on a simulated phishing link.
Don't worry—your device and accounts are fine. The CIS Information Security team created and sent this phishing simulation to help educate our community on how to recognize and report phishing emails.
Follow this link to see all of the simulated phishing emails sent to the Vassar community, including yours.
3 Tips for Identifying and Avoiding Phishing Attempts
- Stop, look, think. Take a moment to slow down and observe. Most accidents happen while rushing.
- Identify red flags. As a rule of thumb, if an email looks suspicious, it's likely phishing. You can review some general red flags and an interactive example below.
- When in doubt, throw it out. If you encounter a phishing attempt, do not click any links; forward the email to catchoftheday@vassar.edu and delete it.
Spotting Red Flags
Before interacting with any link or attachment, ensure its legitimacy. Here are some general signs of phishing:
- Too-good-to-be-true offers
- Urgent or emotionally appealing language
- Grammar and spelling errors
- Requests for personal information
- Suspicious hyperlinks or attachments
- Unexpected business solicitations
- Slightly misspelled sender addresses (e.g., Pavpal instead of Paypal)
Remember to regularly visit go.vassar.edu/infosec—Vassar College's Catch of the Day website—to stay up-to-date on phishing attempts spotted in the wild, as well as tips and tricks to help keep you safe online!
If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please contact the CIS Service Desk at (845) 437-7224 or servicedesk@vassar.edu. If you have any questions regarding policies or the content of the training material related to information security awareness, contact Jerry Bailie, Director of Information Security, at (845) 437-5990 or jebailie@vassar.edu.