Participant Information Sheet

Project title: Phishing Awareness and Simulation Prototype

What is the study about?

This project tests whether a short, safe phishing-simulation exercise with immediate educational feedback can improve awareness of deceptive emails among students and staff. You will receive one or two harmless test emails. If you click the link, you will see an educational page (not a real phishing site) and a short quiz.

Do I have to take part?

No. Participation is voluntary. You can withdraw at any time by replying to the researcher and asking to be removed from the study. There will be no penalty.

What data do you collect?

We only collect:

• Your consent (yes/no) and that you have read this sheet.
• A unique random ID generated when you submit the registration form (no names or email addresses are stored in the dataset).
• Timestamp and quiz answers when you complete the short quiz on the landing page.

Data is stored in a secure university account and will be deleted after the module is completed.

Are there any risks?

The simulation is designed to be safe and educational. The link in the test email goes only to our educational page. We do not collect passwords or personal data from that page. You will be debriefed immediately after clicking.

Who do I contact?

If you have questions or wish to withdraw, contact the researcher or your project supervisor (contact details will be provided on the consent form).