2026: Phishing – did you take the bait? - University of Wollongong - University of Wollongong – UOW

On Thursday, 28 May all UOW students received this email. It was a phishing simulation released by UOW's Cyber Security team to test your cyber security awareness. Did you take the bait? Results after 24 hours 9.58% of users opened the email but did nothing more   21.73% of users clicked the link within the email   652 students contacted IMTS to raise the alarm. While the results show there’s room for improvement, they also give us a clear direction for where to focus our cyber‑awareness efforts. Strengthening simple habits like checking the sender and verifying unexpected requests will make a big difference.  What to look for Did you STOP. THINK. VERIFY and ask yourself the following:  Assess the email Am I expecting an email from this person or organisation? Is the email urgent, threatening or rewarding? Would I normally receive an email like this in my student mailbox? Is the email asking me to go to a website to enter my personal details or my password?  Check the sender’s name and address Do you recognise the sender’s name? Is the email address coming from somewhere expected? Does the email address match the contents of the email? Hover over links or buttons Does the URL look legitimate? Verify suspicious emails If anything seems off, report it or verify with the sender. Cyber safety is everyone’s business. Share the tips above with your friends and family to keep your information online safe.  Additional Information Refer to Cyber safety at UOW for general information. If you need support or have questions, please log a support request or contact the IT Service Desk on +61 2 4221 3000.  SHARE