SAU #45 Reduces Phishing Email Clicks by 39% in 3 Months with Tartan App

About SAU 45

SAU 45 is a rural school district located in northern New Hampshire, serving approximately 500 students and 130 staff members.

Etienne Vallée, M.Ed, MILS, Director of Technology, leads the district's technology efforts. Now in his seventh year in the role, he oversees a small but dedicated technology team consisting of a Network Administrator, Technology Support Specialist, part-time data manager, and a team of librarians and paraprofessionals.

His work spans everything from long-term planning and budgeting to hands-on tasks like cabling, device support, and systems maintenance.

Challenge: Persistent Phishing Risk Despite Training

Although staff received ongoing cybersecurity training, phishing remained a recurring problem.

"Our staff are the best, but they are also our highest vulnerability. In-house training was not producing results."

The district also faced constraints common to small school systems:

• Third-party cybersecurity platforms were often too expensive.
• Many included unnecessary features, driving up cost and complexity.
• A recent statewide cybersecurity audit recommended regular phishing simulations, something the district could not efficiently deliver on its own.

"Stressed and annoyed," is how Vallée described the situation. "Stressed, because we have access to critical information. Annoyed, because despite years of training, staff still failed basic phishing attempts."

Solution: Focused Phishing Training at a Sustainable Cost

Tartan delivered exactly what the district needed: an affordable, streamlined solution focused specifically on phishing awareness and behavior change.

• Customizable phishing campaigns tailored to SAU 45's software environment
• Clear reporting to identify risk areas and track improvement
• Continuous in the moment training instead of a one-time presentation

"Tartan works exactly as advertised, and performs exceedingly well. The process was simple and pleasant. Onboarding was quick and painless, and suggestions for software improvements are readily accepted and integrated into the product and enhance the application's usefulness."

Results: Improved Awareness and Reduced Click Rates

The difference was noticeable and measurable.

• Behavioral Shift: Staff who previously clicked suspicious links ("happy clickers") now forward emails to verify before interacting
• Reduced Click Rates: Simulated phishing failure rates have decreased ~39%

"More of my happy clickers are now asking if something is phishing. That shift is exactly what we needed."

Continuous campaigns ensure ongoing awareness and targeted re-training for staff who need additional support.

Why Tartan Stands Out

For SAU 45, several Tartan features have been particularly valuable:

• Tailored to Schools: Emails are tailored to the services used by schools to simulate what district employees actually receive day to day
• Detailed Logs: Ability to see who received email simulations and which messages were sent
• Trickled Sending: Prevents everyone receiving the same email at once and warning each other
• Simplicity and Reliability: The platform focuses on reducing phishing risk without complex, expensive, and unnecessary features

Support has also been a standout strength.

"The no-pressure sales environment and responsive support have been excellent."

Advice for Other Schools

"Cybersecurity is like keeping the front door to your house closed and locked. You have to be conscientious about it, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes."