SUCCESS STORY
Pembroke College strengthens cyber awareness with Boxphish
Overview
Pembroke College partnered with Boxphish to strengthen cyber awareness across its academic and administrative community. With increasing reliance on digital platforms for teaching, research, and college operations, the college sought a programme that would boost vigilance and embed security-minded behaviour without disrupting daily life.
By introducing a tailored cyber awareness initiative, Pembroke College has improved community confidence, reduced exposure to digital threats, and fostered a culture where students, staff, and researchers actively safeguard sensitive data.
Challenge
Pembroke College faced several key challenges:
Protecting sensitive student records, research data, and operational information from increasingly sophisticated threats.
Ensuring training was accessible and relevant to staff, faculty, and students with varying technical experience.
Maintaining strong security without interfering with teaching, research, or administrative workflows.
Delivering training that was engaging enough to encourage behaviour change and build lasting awareness.
Implementing a scalable solution that could evolve alongside the College’s expanding digital infrastructure.
Solution
Boxphish developed a cyber awareness programme specifically for the higher education environment. The programme was rolled out across the college with minimal disruption. Students, academics, and administrative staff complete concise training modules and participate in regular simulations to practice recognising threats. Automated enrolment ensures that every new member of the college joined the training cycle immediately, maintaining comprehensive coverage, including:
Short, interactive modules covering phishing, ransomware, password security, and safe data practices.
Scenario-based simulations reflecting real academic situations, such as emails from students, collaborators, or administrative systems.
Quizzes and practical exercises to reinforce learning and track comprehension.
Automated onboarding for new staff and students to ensure consistent coverage across the college community.
Impact
The Boxphish programme delivered tangible outcomes for Pembroke College:
01.
4,000+ training courses sent.
02.
64% training course completion rates.
03.
Phishing simulation click rate reduced to 4% organisation-wide.
Standout features
Short, interactive modules designed for busy schedules.
Measurable improvements in threat recognition and cyber resilience.
Automated onboarding for all new students and staff.
Low administrative burden for IT and college management.
Realistic simulations based on day-to-day academic and administrative scenarios.
Future outlook
Pembroke College will continue to leverage this programme to maintain high levels of cyber awareness, ensuring the college community stays vigilant against evolving digital threats. This proactive approach protects sensitive data, preserves research integrity, and supports Pembroke College’s reputation as a safe, innovative, and academically excellent institution.
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