The City of Columbus released phishing-awareness materials tied to the second week of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, according to an official bulletin dated Oct. 14, 2026. The installment combines a humorous video illustrating how phishing can appear in workplace settings through realistic scenarios with a presentation that walks through the various components of phishing and supplies examples.
According to the bulletin, an article covering three leading ways to avoid phishing and the consequences that follow was planned next, and the closing piece of the city's Phishing Awareness Program was expected the following week. The same page groups additional reading under headings about real-life phishing scenarios, tips for recognizing and sidestepping email-based social engineering, and three keys to avoiding phishing emails and ransomware attacks. It also states that cyberattacks depend on human error.
Employees or recipients who get an email that looks suspicious are instructed to use the "Report Suspicious" button at the top of the message so the city's cyber team can review it. The bulletin is an awareness communication rather than an incident notice; it does not report a breach, describe a specific attack, or name any threat actor.
The bulletin does not identify an author or spokesperson, and no additional detail on the video or presentation was provided beyond the descriptions above.