Cybersecurity Contests for Faculty and Staff

All TMU faculty and staff who are employed as of October 31, 2023 are eligible to participate, with the exception of those in the Computing and Communications Services (CCS) department and the Administration and Operations Communications team.

Throughout Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, all eligible faculty and staff will be sent fake phishing emails. To participate in the contest, you’ll need to:

1. Report at least three fake phish to spamrec@torontomu.ca using the “forward” function in your email (please do not use the “forward as attachment” option); and
2. Avoid clicking the malicious link in more than two of our fake phish.

TMU receives a number of phishing emails each day that are designed to deceive you into giving away data like your TMU username and password, credit card number or bank account details. 

Many phishing emails include common traits that can make them easy to catch once you learn what they are.

Even though these emails are coming from TMU Computing and Communications Services (CCS), the goal is for you to identify the email and not respond by clicking a link or opening an attachment.

A cybersecurity awareness software will be used to help track the success of employees in learning how to recognize phish and malware emails and report them to CCS. Our goal is to teach everyone how to respond to phishing emails, now and in the future. 

• Your dean/chair/supervisor/manager will not be notified of how or if you interact with these emails. 
• You will be notified immediately with a message on your screen and offered information on how to avoid phishing emails in the future. 
• Your name and results will be kept confidential—this training is designed to help you learn. 

That’s it! If eligible, you’re automatically entered to win! 

Report three malicious emails without following the malicious instructions of more than two, and we’ll automatically enter you to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card and your choice of an Apple Watch Series 10, 46 mm or Google Pixel Watch 3, 45 mm.

Note, there is a maximum of one Amazon Gift Card available to be won by each employee; winning an Amazon Gift Card excludes you from winning the Apple or Google Pixel Watch.

Eligible winners will be notified via email by November 30, 2024.

If you do not wish your name to be included in this contest, please complete this  (google form) Employee Phish Reporting Contest Opt-out Form (external link) .

CCS provided all employees an opportunity to opt out of receiving simulated phish from TMU by completing a quiz to demonstrate understanding of cybersecurity best practices. The deadline for completion was September 30, 2024 and the quiz has now closed. For more information about receiving phishing emails, please contact the CCS Help Desk via the IT Help Portal, help@torontomu.ca or 416-979-5000, ext. 556806.

All TMU faculty and staff who are employed as of October 31, 2024 are eligible to participate, with the exception of those in the Computing and Communications Services (CCS) department and the Administration and Operations Communications team.

The cybersecurity quiz will be shared via email on October 22 as part of the last email TMU sends for its Cybersecurity Awareness Month campaign. The quiz is built using Google Forms and you’ll need to be logged in with your TMU account to access the quiz.

• Once you complete the quiz and press the “submit” button, your email address will be automatically recorded for entry into the draw.
• Of course, in the interest of fairness, you’ll only have one chance to complete the quiz and earn one ballot for the quiz completion.

Important: Don’t forget to click “submit” at the end of the quiz to ensure your entry in the draw! Otherwise, Google Forms will not capture your email or participation.

If you do not wish your name to be included in this contest, please complete the  (google form) Employee Cybersecurity Quiz Contest Opt-out Form (external link) .