How Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School reduced cyber risk by 52% in just 12 days with usecure

Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School (PEGS), a prominent independent school in Melbourne, Australia, recently took a major step forward in cybersecurity by partnering with usecure. Through usecure’s comprehensive platform, PEGS achieved a 52% reduction in human cyber risk, bolstered its community’s awareness of cyber threats, and equipped its staff and students with essential cybersecurity skills.

The Problem

With multiple campuses and a large educational community, PEGS faced rising cyber risks, including phishing and potential credential breaches. The school needed a solution to assess and improve cybersecurity awareness across all levels while ensuring compliance with various regulatory requirements. PEGS sought a platform that would not only help them monitor and mitigate risks but also adapt to the distinct needs of both students and staff.

PEGS Director of ICT, Shannon O’Brien, summarized the challenge: “We wanted a platform that could be tailored to our needs, allowing us to test and build security knowledge across our community effectively. With usecure, we can run phishing simulations, build security profiles, and gain meaningful insights.”

Solution

After careful consideration, PEGS chose usecure’s platform for its tailored approach to cybersecurity training, phishing simulations, and breach monitoring. Here’s how PEGS leveraged each component:

• uLearn: Tailored Security Awareness Training – With uLearn, PEGS provided engaging, adaptive cybersecurity training tailored to various knowledge levels. The school utilized a mix of pre-built and customized courses to ensure training on key topics, from phishing to password hygiene, enhancing both compliance and knowledge retention.

• uPhish: Realistic Phishing Simulations – To build resilience against phishing attacks, PEGS used uPhish for simulated phishing exercises. These controlled scenarios allowed the school to identify those in need of additional training and helped build a more vigilant community.

• uBreach: Real-Time Breach Monitoring – uBreach enabled PEGS to monitor and address potential credential breaches among staff and students, acting quickly to prevent further exposure and increase security awareness.

Results

In just 12 days, PEGS experienced transformative improvements in its cybersecurity posture through the usecure platform:

How They Did It

PEGS used a combination of pre-built and customized modules, phishing simulations, and automated reporting to create a program that addressed the unique needs of their community. The platform’s automation features allowed the school’s ICT team to save time and focus on building a robust cybersecurity program.

O’Brien further highlighted the platform’s strengths, saying:

“The selection of courses and phishing templates, customization options, and automation features helped us address our unique needs. The platform’s reporting capabilities allowed us to measure risk at a glance.”

Conclusion

PEGS’s success with usecure underscores the importance of a proactive approach to cybersecurity within the education sector. By investing in tailored training, phishing simulations, and breach monitoring, PEGS not only reduced its human cyber risk but also instilled a culture of security awareness among both staff and students.

This case study serves as a strong example of how educational institutions can leverage human risk management solutions to foster a secure, informed environment.