Monthly Archives: October 2026

Cyber Month Week 1: Spot the trap before you click

Welcome to Week 1 of Cybersecurity Awareness Month at Fleming College! This week, we are focusing on Recognizing Cyber Threats.

Cybercriminals constantly refine their tactics, especially with Artificial Intelligence making scams more convincing than ever. Staying safe starts with knowing what to look out for.

Phishing

Phishing messages try to trick you into acting before you think. Spotting the signs early keeps your credentials and personal information safe.

✅ Learn the 7 red flags of phishing to help you identify suspicious emails, texts, and phone calls.

✅ Job opportunities and postings for on-campus student work are only ever posted to the Evolve Applicant Portal maintained by the Fleming College Human Resources department. Fleming College never sends mass communications about specific job postings. Refer to the Fleming College Career Services page for assistance with student employment at the College or elsewhere.

✅ Grants or bursaries notices will only be sent by our Financial Aid office (FinAid@flemingcollege.ca) or Advancement & External Relations department (alumni@flemingcollege.ca).

✅ Want a more interactive experience? Check this Fleming article out!

AI & Social Engineering

Generative AI tools make it easy for attackers to create hyper-realistic scam emails, deepfake audio, and personalized social engineering messages without typical grammar errors.

✅ Check out 9 ways to spot AI content online to sharpen your eye for machine-generated media.

✅ How cyber criminals are using artificial intelligence (AI) for online threats.

What to Do About a Suspicious Message

If something in your inbox feels off, don’t click links, open attachments, or reply.  Remember:  When in doubt, throw it out!

✅ Verify: Contact the sender directly using a known, trusted phone number or email address; don’t hit reply.

✅ Report: Use Outlook and Report a Phish.

Get Involved & Win

Prize Alert 🎁 Take the Get Cyber Safe Checkup – Complete the Get Cyber Safe Checkup and email a screenshot of your results to cyber-month@flemingcollege.ca for your chance to win a  $50 Amazon Gift Card!

Student Prize Alert 🎁 Can you spot the Phish?  Keep an eye on your inbox and report a phish for your chance to be included in our draw to win 1 of 4 $50 Amazon gift cards.

Staff Prize Alert 🎁 Sign up for our voluntary Cybersecurity Awareness Training and, once completed, you will be included in our draw to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

Did you know?

✅ You can Report a Security Incident  If you suspect your Fleming account or password has been compromised.

✅ Microsoft Defender Antivirus comes free with Windows 11, and there is also a paid subscription version available for macOS, iOS and Android devices.

✅ Text Message Scams (Smishing): You can report scam text messages in Canada by forwarding the message to 7726 (SPAM) on your mobile device.

✅ Phishing Reporting: Reporting suspicious emails helps protect everyone by providing information that helps improve detection and blocking technology.

New Service Launch: Webex Events – Lunch & Learn

ITS is excited to share that we have a new events platform that will support, in-person, virtual & hybrid events at the same time.

Join our upcoming Webex Events Training Session and discover how to take full advantage of the platform’s capabilities to create engaging and professional experiences for your attendees.

In this interactive session, we’ll cover:

✅ Everything you need to know to get started with Webex Events

Session Information:

📅 Date: October 15th, 2026

🕒 Time: 12:00 pm -1:00 pm

📍 Location: Online via Webex – link to follow

Whether you’re hosting your first event or are a seasoned organizer, this training will provide valuable tips and techniques to take your event to the next level!

If you know someone that you think should attend, please share with your team.

Reserve your spot today

We hope you’ll join us!

Information Update: Cyber Security Awareness Month is back this October

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Cyber Security Awareness Month is back this October. As an official Get Cyber Safe champion, Fleming College is focusing on a simple truth this year: Your best defence is you.
Small habits (updating devices, spotting suspicious messages, and locking down credentials) are our strongest defence against evolving digital threats.
 

What’s Ahead This October

  • Week 1: Recognize Cyber Threats | Phishing, the 7 red flags of fake messages, and AI-driven social engineering.
  • Week 2: Strengthen Your Defences | Passphrases, 1Password, MFA setups, and upcoming authentication changes.
  • Week 3: Protect Your Information | Safe online banking, avoiding shopping scams, public Wi-Fi risks, and VPN best practices.
  • Week 4: Build Your Cyber Community | Cyber safety for kids and seniors, reporting scam texts (7726), and cyber careers.

Get Involved & Win

✅ We’re hosting challenges throughout the month to test your cyber fitness.
✅ Promote Cyber Month on your own personal social media channels – use #CyberMonth2026 #GetCyberSafe
✅ Follow cyber security best practices at work and at home
✅ Talk about cyber security with friends and family – here are resources to help you (simply choose a topic!)
Student Prize Alert 🎁 – Take our Cybersecurity Awareness Training for Students, once completed you will be included in our draw to win 1 of 3 $50 Amazon gift cards.  NOTE:  The training will be reflected on you Co-Curricular Record(CCR).

Did You Know?

✅ MFA Alert – Using SMS (your phone number) as a multi-factor method will no longer work as of February 2027.  We strongly encourage all users to add additional MFA methods to your profile.  Here is how to add Microsoft Authenticator for MFA.
Updates Block Malware: Patching your apps and operating system closes the security gaps ransomware targets most.
Public Wi-Fi Risks: Unsecured Wi-Fi allows local network snooping. If you don’t need a password to connect, it’s not a secure Wi-Fi connection. If you’re unsure, confirm the network with business staff.
⚠️ Join the Cyber Security Ontario, Cyber Security Town Hall on October 2, 2026 at 11AM. Register here!
✅ Follow @GetCyberSafe on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for tips on cyber security to help you step up your defences!