I Failed a Phishing Test (and Honestly, It Was Kind of Beautiful)

By Anastasia Edwards – Middle School Attendance Clerk | Former Cybersecurity Pro | Mom | Still Human

So… guess who failed the district-wide phishing test?

Yep.
Me.
The former "cybersecurity professional".

Twelve weeks into my new gig as a middle school attendance clerk, I opened an email that looked just like the dozens of “District Updates” and “Staff Opportunities” that hit my inbox every week. It promised a few extra bucks doing work-from-home tasks for the district. As a single mom trying to rebuild after a layoff, that sounded like music to my ears.

So, naturally, I clicked.

And then my old cybersecurity brain came running in 5 seconds late like, “Hey genius… you realize what this is, right?”

Yup. Phishing test.
Hook, line, and sinker. 🎣

Now, before you picture me throwing my laptop out the window in shame...don’t. After the initial “oh noooo” moment, I did exactly what we teach people to do: I reported it. Then I sat there and laughed… because really, the irony was too good.

Here’s what I realized though...and this part’s important.
Phishing doesn’t catch you because you’re dumb. It catches you because you’re human.

It gets you when you’re tired. When you’re stressed. When you’re juggling attendance records, emails, kids, and the fifty-seven other things life throws your way before 10:00 a.m.

That’s how social engineering works. It’s not about tricking your computer, it’s about tricking your feelings.

And let me tell you, whoever wrote that email knew exactly how to find my weak spot: the “single mom trying to make ends meet” button. Pressed it perfectly.

So, to my district colleagues, my LinkedIn fam, and my local community here in Montana:
If you ever fall for a phishing test, or even a real scam, take a breath. You’re not alone.

Laugh about it. Learn from it. Report it.
Then tell someone else so they don’t feel bad when it happens to them.

Because the truth is, even the experts click sometimes.
What matters most is that we keep our humor, keep our humility, and keep our eyes open for the next one that comes along promising “extra cash,” “urgent action,” or “limited-time offers.”

(And if any legit district side hustles come through… someone forward those my way, okay?) 😄

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