Cybersecurity Awareness Protects Saints from Phishing

A passion for cybersecurity has resulted in an independent study project design to keep Saints safe online.

Sanjuktha (Sanju) Arikatla '27, a computer science major on the cybersecurity track, created Security for Saints, a cybersecurity awareness campaign to help Siena students and faculty better recognize phishing attempts and protect themselves online.

Arikatla's campaign included a preliminary student survey about cybersecurity, a short cybersecurity training session, and a follow-up survey to measure the effectiveness of the training. She presented her research at the ACM New York Celebration of Women in Computing (NYCWiC), held in April at the Hilton Albany, alongside students, faculty, and industry leaders from across the state.

Her research was conducted under the guidance of John Armitage, teaching professor of computer science, in partnership with Siena's ITS department. The results were striking: while participants showed strong conceptual knowledge of threats like phishing and social engineering, the study revealed real gaps between what people know and what they actually practice.

"For example, most respondents could correctly explain how a VPN works [virtual private network], but only about a quarter of them said they regularly use one on public Wi-Fi," explained Arikatla. "After the training, though, the impact was clear: 96 percent of participants said they'd recommend the session to a fellow student."

At NYCWiC, she shared her findings alongside practical recommendations for building more effective, sustained cybersecurity education into campus life, from closing the "knowing vs. doing" gap to embedding awareness training into existing student programs.

"Presenting at a conference dedicated to celebrating women in computing was especially meaningful to me," she said. "The experience is part of what led me to switch my track from information systems to cybersecurity, and I plan to continue pursuing my education in the field as I head into my senior year."

Last October, Arikatla hosted a panel discussion in observance of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, bringing together guest speakers from the cybersecurity field for a Q&A discussion with attendees.

"Sanju is an extremely hard worker, and has shown a true passion for cybersecurity and cybersecurity awareness," said Armitage. "Presenting at a professional conference is an incredible opportunity. And she did it with such composure. I'm so proud of her and her efforts."

The annual NYCWiC conference is dedicated to empowering women and their allies in computing, and serves as a vital platform for networking, learning, and celebrating the contributions of women in technology.