DENVER, Colo — As phishing scams continue to rise, two graduating sisters from CU Denver are turning their capstone project into a tool to help people avoid phishing scams.
Ashlynn and Deveyn Hainey, twin sisters from Englewood, Colorado, will graduate this May from CU Denver, but before they don their caps and gowns, they’ve already made a mark with PhishSense, a Gmail add-on that detects phishing emails and teaches users how to spot scams themselves.
“We didn’t just want a tool that flags suspicious messages,” said Ashlynn, who focused on the cybersecurity side of the project. “We wanted it to educate users and give them the confidence to understand why an email is risky.”
That blend of prevention and education is what sets PhishSense apart. While companies often invest heavily in cybersecurity, individuals are typically left unprotected. That’s the gap the Hainey sisters are aiming to close.
Phishing remains one of the top cyber threats today. According to recent data, 94% of organizations were targeted by phishing in 2024, leading to more than $16 million in losses across the U.S.
“Everyone gets these emails,” said Deveyn, who specialized in the machine learning portion of the tool. “Even in our internships, companies would run phishing tests. We realized how easy it is to fall for a scam—even for tech-savvy people.”
With PhishSense, the add-on scans emails using AI to detect phishing attempts, but also includes a “learning mode” that breaks down why a message is considered suspicious. It’s like having a cybersecurity coach built into your inbox.
“Most tools like this are behind a paywall or only available through corporate IT departments,” said Deveyn. “We wanted to create something that’s actually accessible.”
The idea for PhishSense came from a blend of personal experience and professional inspiration. Ashlynn’s background in cybersecurity and Deveyn’s work in data science led them to create something that brought their skills together.
CU Denver’s hands-on, project-based learning environment played a critical role. With guidance from faculty and funding from a grant, the sisters were able to turn their idea into a working prototype.
“Having professors who genuinely support your ideas and help you develop them has been huge,” said Ashlynn. “We pitched PhishSense and received a grant, which helped us build it out properly.”
Though the tool is currently a prototype, the sisters say they’re open to developing it further after graduation. “If future students want to pick it up and improve it, or if we get the opportunity to launch it ourselves, we’re all in,” said Deveyn.
The future looks bright for the Haineys and as for working together again? “Absolutely,” they said. “Being twins has its perks, we balance each other out and work really well together.”
Until then, they hope PhishSense will empower users to take back control of their inboxes and avoid becoming just another scam statistic.
The sisters also a have a list of suggestions to prevent Phishing emails:
- Hover before you click: Always hover over links to see where they’re really directing you.
- Verify the sender: Don’t trust unfamiliar names or suspicious addresses.
- When in doubt, don’t interact: If something feels off, it probably is.
“Everyone has been targeted at some point,” said Ashlynn. “We just want to help people be ready for it.”
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