Case Study: Zeeland Public Schools
CyberNut Implementation in K-12 Education
Background
Mark Washington, the Director of Technology at Zeeland Public Schools (ZPS), has dedicated over 34 years to education technology. Like many school districts nationwide, ZPS faced an increasing challenge: a growing frequency of sophisticated phishing attacks.
Initially, ZPS relied on a generic phishing training solution provided through their cyber insurance company. Unfortunately, this resulted in consistently low engagement and minimal improvement. Recognizing the urgent need for change, Mark explored new options—and discovered CyberNut.
Problem
ZPS identified critical shortcomings with their existing cybersecurity training solution:
Low Engagement: Training sessions were perceived as tedious and uninspiring, resulting in low teacher participation.
Ineffective Training: Trainings failed to effectively improve awareness or behavior, with teachers continuing to inadvertently click suspicious emails.
Time Constraints: Teachers faced significant time constraints, making lengthy, conventional training
sessions impractical.
Solution
In search of a more impactful solution, Mark was introduced to CyberNut, a cybersecurity platform purpose-built for the unique demands of K-12 education. CyberNut uses gamification and positive reinforcement strategies to effectively engage teachers and staff, promoting lasting behavioral change.
Implementation Process
Implementing CyberNut is seamless and efficient. Mark noted the entire setup—including initial meetings, configuration, and follow-up—required less than eight total hours from his team. Its intuitive design allows even non technical staff members to manage and oversee the platform effortlessly, greatly reducing administrativeoverhead.
Results
After implementing CyberNut, Zeeland Public Schools observed significant improvements in their cybersecurity posture:
Increased Engagement: Teachers became more motivated to participate in the training, leading to higher reporting rates of suspicious emails.
Reduced Click Rates: The click rates on phishing emails dropped dramatically. For instance, the percentageof users clicking on links in phishing simulations decreased from 25% to just 2%.
Improved Reporting: The number of users reporting suspicious emails increased, providing the IT department with valuable data to address potential threats.
Enhanced Security Awareness: Teachers became more vigilant and proactive in identifying and reporting phishing attempts, contributing to a safer digital environment.
Users who Clicked the Link
This graph illustrates the impact of CyberNut on Zeeland schools, with blue representing the period before implementation and red showing the results after.
The data highlights a significant and positive shift in behavior, demonstrating a clear reduction in clicks on phishing links after CyberNut’s training and awareness initiatives were introduced.
This decline reflects improved recognition of phishing threats and a stronger security culture within the schools.
This graphic illustrates CyberNut’s sustained impact over time, demonstrating a consistent increase in phishing reports alongside a steady decline in risky clicks. These trends highlight the effectiveness of ongoing cybersecurity awareness and training in strengthening schools’ security posture.
Before CyberNut
Audience:
Faculty, Staff, & Administrators at Zeeland Public Schools
Results from a phishing audit conducted by anindependent cybersecurity consulting firm.
Phishing Audit Date: February 12, 2024
Total # of participants: 1,081
TOTAL LINKS CLICKED: 366
TOTAL CLICK-THROUGH RATE (%): 25%
ZPS had a serious phishing problem! After recognizing their risk levels from the phishing audit, Zeeland deployedCyberNut.
After
CyberNut
After 10 months of CyberNut Training Zeeland Conducted an additional independent phishing audit.
Phishing Audit Date: December 9, 2024
Total # of participants: 1,081
TOTAL LINKS CLICKED: 211
TOTAL CLICK-THROUGH RATE (%): 2%
In just 10 months, CyberNut reduced their phishing click rate to 2%.
CyberNut Is for Reporting Simulations& Real Phishing Threats
CyberNut is focused on helping transform your faculty and staff into a human firewall—proactively spotting and reporting real threats to keep your district safe.
In Zeeland, staff and faculty haven’t only learned how to spot phishing attempts—they’ve put that knowledge into action. Over 600 real potential threats have been reported through CyberNut by Zeeland users.
Instant Phishing Threat Removal
CyberNut empowers admins with the ability to swiftly address phishing and security threats directly from the dash board. When users report a suspicious email, admins can take immediate action—no more manual tracing or jumping between platforms.
Key Features
- Effortlessly remove threats from all user inboxes.
- Eliminate emails from specific senders or domains with a single click.
- Block malicious domains in real-time to prevent future attacks.
With CyberNut, threat management is simplified, giving you peace of mind and saving you valuable time.
Ready to Understand Your District's Cybersecurity Risk?
Sign Up for CyberNut’s Free Baseline Campaign
Cybersecurity threats to schools are real, costly, and increasing. Take the first steptowards protecting your district with our no-cost, 2-week Baseline Security Assessment.
Why Start with the Baseline Campaign?
- Completely Free - no hidden costs or commitments.
- Gain Critical Insights - clearly see your district’s phishing vulnerabilities.
- Easy to Implement - no software installations or branding; your users won’t even know it’s happening.
- Actionable Data - get detailed results you can immediately use to secure superintendent, cabinet, and board support for ongoing cybersecurity training.
Empower your district to move forward confidently with the cybersecurity solutions you need.
TAKE THE FIRST STEP TODAY
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