Announcing cyber security and privacy poster contest winners

Published: March 12, 2026

A group of people standing in a meeting room in front of a screen displaying ‘2025–26 Cybersecurity Poster Contest’ with a mural of trees and a bird in the background.

Information Security ran a poster contest from October’s Cyber Security Awareness Month through January’s Data Privacy Day. A committee of selected U of T staff and faculty members reviewed a wide range of creative and clever submissions inspired by online safety, scam awareness and privacy protection.

Winners circle

We received many impressive entries. Congratulations to our winners!

🥇 First place

A three-panel cyber security awareness comic showing individuals checking messages for phishing, avoiding malicious links on a laptop, and reporting suspicious emails.

“Diversity and story flow in a comic book form.”

Created by Adrian Sandu, Network Administrator, Information & Instructional Technology Services, UTM

🥈 Second place

A cybersecurity poster warning U of T students about tuition payment scams, featuring fake urgent messages, a hook, and a Trojan horse with tips to avoid fraud.

“My design highlights email scams targeting U of T students, using phishing and Trojan horse imagery to encourage students to protect their digital future.”

Created by Ella Nwafor, Major in Human Biology, UTSC

🥉 Third place

A retro-style sci‑fi poster showing an astronaut being targeted by a tentacle emerging from a computer screen.

“Homage to some of the pre-war and mid-century sci-fi magazines.”

Created by Michael Laurentius, Research Information Security Program Manager, Information Security, St. George

Celebrating all submissions

The selection committee was thrilled by the variety of styles and ideas in the submissions. Explore the remaining submissions below.

A stylized poster showing a figure beside a shield and lock, urging people to protect the digital future and fight cyber threats.
A poster depicting a person at a computer in the clouds while a hooded figure below pulls a phishing hook toward them, warning that one click can have serious consequences.
A phishing‑awareness poster showing an email asking for personal details.
A stylized poster with fragmented digital panels and red warning lines, featuring the message ‘Think Before You Click—Protect our Digital Future.’
A poster depicting a person curled under a serving dome with the warning not to give away personal information to phishing scams.
A bright poster featuring a cheerful cartoon padlock surrounded by circuit lines.
A digital security poster featuring a glowing lock icon with guidance on staying cyber‑aware and protecting your digital identity.
A hooded figure using a laptop with the caption promoting multi-factor authentication.
An infographic advising users to avoid sharing personal credentials, use strong passwords, stay updated, and watch for suspicious online behavior.
A red cybersecurity poster showing a hooded figure at a laptop with tips on avoiding suspicious links, using strong passwords, updating software, and watching for phishing.
A black‑and‑white illustrated poster showing large watching eyes and a shadowy figure behind a person at a computer with the words ‘Someone is watching you.’
A poster showing a shield protecting a city from figures aiming red laser lines at it, emphasizing the need to protect the digital world.
A poster showing icons and tips about device updates, keeping data private, using VPN and MFA, recognizing risks, guarding devices, verifying actions, avoiding unknown sources, and staying informed.
A poster showing a figure with a shield and sword defending a laptop from a glowing green digital hand, with the message to protect our digital future.
An infographic outlining responsible AI use, prohibited uses, and data‑handling practices from the University of Toronto.
A hand‑drawn poster showing a phone scanning a QR code on a flyer with warnings about cybersecurity awareness and protecting your digital future.
A poster highlighting cybersecurity tips such as spotting phishing, using AI responsibly, strengthening passwords, and safeguarding data.
A digital‑themed poster showing a person interacting with a giant phone and documents, highlighting shared responsibility in cybersecurity across accounts, networks, and future systems.
A person looking at a phone screen filled with app icons, warnings, and digital creatures under the heading ‘Protect our Digital Future.
Two cartoon animal characters using digital devices with a message encouraging strong, unpredictable passwords.
A cybersecurity poster with a shield and lock graphic emphasizing strong passwords, two‑factor authentication, software updates, and phishing awareness.
A cybersecurity poster listing best practices such as strong passwords, logging out, avoiding suspicious links, watching for social engineering, and reporting suspicious activity.
A cybersecurity poster explaining how to report phishing at the University of Toronto, warning against sharing passwords or approving unexpected login requests, and advising users to report suspicious emails.
A cartoon bunny in a fluffy suit working on a laptop.
A poster showing digital lock and shield icons with the message ‘Cybersecurity Awareness in the Workplace—Protect what matters, stay cyber smart.’
A red‑themed phishing warning poster showing an inbox of phishing red flags and steps to avoid scams, with bold text emphasizing that identity theft is no joke.
A colorful gaming‑style poster showing stick figures battling digital threats.
A poster outlining cybersecurity tips such as protecting passwords, avoiding scammers, and monitoring for malware.
A digital‑themed poster showing a circuit‑pattern head with a lock symbol above a city skyline promoting Cyber Security Awareness Month at U of T.
An infographic outlining what cybersecurity is, types of cyberattacks, key terminology, and safe browsing practices to protect digital information.
Poster with five cybersecurity tips: don’t share TCard or UTORid; use U of T or Eduroam networks; inspect emails; create unique passwords; and approve only recognized Duo notifications.
A dark-themed phishing awareness poster showing a hooded figure at a laptop, a warning not to email sensitive info, and colorful fish icons representing stolen data.
A digital safety poster showing a person using a laptop surrounded by icons promoting strong passphrases, software updates, cautious clicking, and controlling what information is shared.
A poster showing a laptop connected to icons representing email, research, learning, identity, and finances, highlighting the importance of protecting digital information.
A hand reaching toward a glowing digital globe with text urging strong passwords, multi‑factor authentication, updates, and phishing awareness.
A poster explaining four types of malware—ransomware, trojans, viruses, and worms—using simple icons and descriptions.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the judges for their time, expertise and thoughtful evaluation of this year’s poster entries.

  • Kalyani Khati, Associate Director, Information Security Strategic Initiatives
  • Jacqueline Tong, Web Developer, Academic, Research & Collaborative technologies, ITS
  • Kevin Yousie, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream (Strategy & General Management), UTM

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