Phishing Tactics in the Education & Learning Management Sector

In the education and learning management sector, phishers exploit the trust placed in online educational platforms to gain access to personal information and institutional data. They often target both students and staff with emails designed to appear as legitimate communications from trusted services.

Common Phishing Tactics

• Impersonation of Trusted Brands: Emails mimicking services like Canvas, Blackboard, and Google Classroom to trick users into divulging login credentials.
• Fake Course Notifications: Phishers send fake course updates or grade notifications with malicious links.
• Urgent Account Issues: Emails claiming there are urgent issues with a user’s account, such as password expiration or security alerts, prompting immediate action.
• Domain Spoofing: Use of lookalike domains to create a sense of legitimacy (e.g., goog1eclassroom.com instead of googleclassroom.com).
• Personalization: Using the recipient’s name, course details, or institution-specific information to increase credibility.

Industry-Specific Concerns

The education sector values:

• Preventing Data Breaches: Protecting student and staff personal information from unauthorized access.
• Ensuring Confidentiality: Safeguarding sensitive academic records and institutional data.
• Maintaining System Availability: Ensuring that educational platforms remain accessible for uninterrupted learning.

Example Phishing Narrative

An email might appear to come from Google Classroom with a subject line like "New Assignment Due" and body text such as:

Dear [Name],
You have a new assignment due for [Course Name]. Please review the assignment details and submit your work by clicking the link below:
View Assignment
Thank you,
Google Classroom Team

Preventive Measures

Cybersecurity awareness training and a strong security culture within educational institutions can help mitigate the risks of phishing attacks. Training staff and students to identify and report phishing attempts can greatly enhance the overall security posture.