PhishAlarm, a third-party solution for reporting suspicious email directly to the IT Security Office, proved successful over its two-year implementation. Since March 9, 2024, Cornell community members have reported 29,300 messages and 11, 276 of those were flagged as malicious by security team engineers. 

But that success comes with a cost. Across the university, each unit is closely examining overlapping systems and processes for opportunities to reduce expenditures, and PhishAlarm provides a solution that is somewhat similar to reporting tools found inside Microsoft and Gmail. 

PhishAlarm helped promote increased awareness of the growing sophistication of fraudulent email and guided the ITSO Team’s swift response in blocking the source. 

While PhishAlarm is scheduled to be retired in late May, we ask community members to continue to report suspicious messages using the built-in tools found in Outlook and Gmail. While PhishAlarm is gradually deprecated starting on May 29, 2026, Cornell community members can continue to use it when it appears in their available tools. For example, PhishAlarm may disappear from Outlook on the Web and still be present in the desktop application for Outlook. 

At the same time, it is a good idea to locate the Outlook and Gmail tools for reporting suspicious activity. The native tools in Outlook and Gmail and the PhishAlarm tool can be used simultaneously during this transition period. 

Remain vigilant, and continue keeping Cornell resources secure by reporting suspicious messages so protective measures can be incorporated in Cornell’s email solutions.