Since 2004, the President and Congress have designated October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month—a time for public and private sectors to come together to promote the importance of cybersecurity. This national initiative has grown into a collaborative effort between government and industry to raise awareness, encourage proactive steps to reduce online risks, and foster meaningful conversations about cyber threats at both national and global levels.
At GGUSD, we take cybersecurity seriously and are committed to keeping our staff informed and empowered. Throughout October, we’ll be sharing weekly highlights on key cybersecurity topics, along with practical tips and short videos to help you protect your data, identity, and finances—both at work and at home.
We appreciate your continued commitment to keeping our digital environment safe and secure. We look forward to strengthening our cybersecurity practices together.
[Source: CISA, used with permission.]
Recognize and Report Phishing
What Is Phishing?
Phishing is a tactic used by cybercriminals to trick individuals into clicking on links that include harmful attachments or attempt to collect sensitive information. These deceptive messages, often disguised as emails or texts, often appear as if they are from a trusted source. You can protect yourself from phishing with these three simple steps.
1. Recognize the Signs
Watch for these common indicators of phishing:
- Language that creates urgency or fear, such as threats of account closure
- Requests for personal or financial details
- Suspicious shortened URLs
- Misspelled websites or fake addresses (e.g., amazan.com)
- While poor grammar used to be a giveaway, AI-generated messages may now appear polished—so stay alert for other red flags
2. Resist the Urge
If something feels off, don’t click. Avoid opening links or attachments from unfamiliar or suspicious sources. Instead, report the message using built-in tools—look for “report spam” options or flag the sender’s profile.
3. Delete Immediately
Don’t engage. Don’t reply. Don’t click—even on “unsubscribe” links. Just delete the message.
4. Report Phishing
Report it to your IT department or email/phone provider.
*For GGUSD Employees
As a reminder, an email reporting feature called PhishAlarm was added to the District Outlook email system so that you can easily report suspicious email to be reviewed and blocked.
A “Report Suspicious” button is now on every email. Simply click on the button to report the email as suspicious. See examples below:
Outlook Client:
Outlook Web:
COMMON PHISHING RED FLAGS:
- A tone that’s urgent or makes you scared
Ex: "Click now or your account will be closed"
- Sender email address doesn’t match the company it’s coming from
Ex: Amazon.com vs. Amaz0n.com
- Unexpected communication
Ex: Emails or calls you weren’t anticipating.
- Requests to send personal info
Ex: Legitimate companies don’t ask for sensitive data via email or unsolicited calls.
- Misspelled words, bad grammar and odd URLs can still be a sign of phishing.
[Source: CISA, used with permission.]
Recommended Videos
Recognize and Report Phishing
How to Avoid Phishing