Case Study: Middle Eastern University cuts phishing susceptibility to 11% and boosts reporting to 50% with Cofense

Leading University Ramps Up Phishing Defense as Global Threats Grow

Middle Eastern University, which serves an international mix of students, faculty, and administrators, faced growing phishing threats — including risks from sophisticated, potentially nation-state actors — and needed to reduce user susceptibility while increasing reporting. To address this, the university partnered with Cofense and deployed Cofense PhishMe™ simulations and the Cofense Reporter™ reporting button (and later added Cofense Triage™) as part of a broader program that combined simulated attacks, training, and a points-based incentives policy.

Cofense’s tools were used to run targeted phishing simulations, automate reporting, and streamline incident handling; the program cut the university’s phishing susceptibility from about 55% to 11% and raised the reporting rate to roughly 50%, while significantly reducing the security team’s time spent investigating suspected phishing emails. By continuing simulations and adding Cofense Triage™ for faster email analysis, Cofense helped the university strengthen its human firewall and improve overall organizational resiliency to phishing.