As socially engineered malicious phishing emails drive a wave of security breaches, ManagedMethods introduces first chain-of-thought (CoT) detection tool for K-12 schools

BOULDER, COLORADO / ACCESS Newswire / June 3, 2025 / ManagedMethods, the leading provider of Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 cybersecurity, student safety, and compliance for K-12 school districts, today announces the launch of its Advanced Phishing solution to enhance its core cybersecurity product Cloud Monitor.

During a time of rising cybersecurity threats against the education sector, socially engineered emails pose a weak point in cybersecurity defenses. ManagedMethods now offers the first chain-of-thought (CoT) AI phishing detection tool built specifically for K-12 schools.

As phishing attempts become more sophisticated, it's become harder for humans to differentiate between malicious and legitimate emails. According to the 2024 Sophos State of Ransomware in Education, 63% of K-12 organizations were hit by ransomware last year, and 26% of those attacks started with a phishing email. The median recovery cost skyrocketed to $3 million in 2024, four times higher than the previous year.

The new solution brings enterprise-grade phishing detection to K-12 school districts, and is designed to simulate human-like problem-solving to detect phishing and spam emails across Gmail and Outlook, giving IT teams a smarter, more effective way to protect students and staff.

"Bad actors use sophisticated, socially engineered emails to impersonate trusted sources like administrators, vendors, and even students and parents in order to steal credentials, deploy ransomware, or trick staff into wiring funds," explained Charlie Sander, CEO of ManagedMethods.

"Traditional email filters often miss these more advanced attacks, leaving schools vulnerable. We're thrilled to introduce enterprise-grade cybersecurity chain-of-thought (CoT) AI phishing detection to K-12 schools so that schools can mitigate this growing and serious risk."

The AI model learns from real-world attacks targeting schools to improve detection accuracy and reduce false positives and is fully compatible with Gmail and Outlook. Advanced Phishing seamlessly expands the existing protections offered by Cloud Monitor with no additional platforms to manage.

Furthermore, the solution also flags risky emails and provides IT teams with recommended response actions and automated remediation to save valuable time and reduce exposure. This offers comprehensive protection for the entire school district from one easy-to-use platform.

The announcement follows the launch of ManagedMethods' Classroom Manager, a new comprehensive solution for online instruction and learning in the classroom that puts control back into the hands of teachers with an intuitive suite of features that monitor students' browser activity, provide granular control, and enable personalized learning based on the individual needs of each student.

To learn more about ManagedMethods' comprehensive cybersecurity and student safety solutions for K-12 schools and speak to an advisor about how Advanced Phishing can improve your district's cybersecurity posture, visit: www.managedmethods.com

ABOUT

ManagedMethods protects K-12 schools with cybersecurity and student safety tools for Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, online browsing, and third-party app management. Our Cloud Monitor provides real-time monitoring, alerts, and automated responses to secure data, detect threats, identify student safety risks, and ensure compliance in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365-no proxies, agents, extensions, or specialized training required. Content Filter is a cloud-based web filter that enables safe internet use across school-provided devices, helping technology teams enforce security, safety, and compliance policies with confidence while supporting seamless classroom technology integration. Classroom Manager gives teachers control over student screens and web access, keeping learning environments focused and productive. Simple, affordable, and easy to implement, ManagedMethods' suite of solutions seamlessly integrates into district IT and classroom routines.

Contact Information

Katie Fritchen
VP of Marketing
kfritchen@managedmethods.com

Conrad Egusa
PR Specialist
conrad@publicize.co
1-203-29308941

SOURCE: ManagedMethods