Item: KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training
Rating: 9
Author: Marc Vasquez, APR

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use the KnowBe4 platform for our quarterly and targeted phishing exercises. This has helped us ramp up the phishing and social engineering training portions we are required to implement as a business in a regulated space.

Pros and Cons

Customer service - We selected the option to have some of our services managed by a KnowBe4 rep and that has been great in keeping up with advancements, content and reporting.
Platform functionality - The platform does not leave the admin wanting with various options for education pieces, phishing templates, video content, posters and other informative pieces that are plug and play via email, web and more.
Real-time exercise reporting - When we're performing an exercise, we have the ability to see in real time how the exercise is being received, outcomes and other metrics to help future exercises.

PhishER - We've heard a lot about PhishER and while I'm a proponent for it, it's still being finalized whereas other vendors have come to us with ready to use products like it which are... ready to use.
False positives - On occasion we have some false positives or negatives where a user has made the right or wrong choice and it's been noted incorrectly.
Reporting - Navigating the reporting portion of exercises is not easy in the platform. Best to get the managed services portion to help sort through that.

Return on Investment

Rather than simply hoping our associates aren't clicking on links, we're able to see it in a control environment which helps us get the right education to the right people - at the right time.
Using the platform for phishing exercises has helped us show even higher up associates who thought "they were ungetable" that they are not immune to potential threats.
Utilizing other content from the platform has helped streamline communications and content so we aren't having to reinvent the wheel each time we provide communications or education to associates.

Alternatives Considered

Cofense PhishMe and Proofpoint Security Awareness Training (formerly Wombat Security)

When we looked at other vendors, we felt like the platforms were relatively similar in that they would help us provide phishing exercises and education to our associates. What really set them apart was the great customer service we received from the sales team through each of the managed services partners we've had along the way. We've always felt like a priority.

Key Insights

Do you think KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training's feature set?

Yes

Did KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training again?

Yes

Likelihood to Recommend

KnowBe4 can be as much of a Cadillac or Fiat as your company needs. We don't have all of the bells and whistles, but we are actively looking at their individual offerings to see when they might make sense to add on to our suite of services. The platform definitely works well for entities ramping up their program and works for all national, international, multi-lingual, etc., companies.

Support Rating

I feel like my support team has our vested interests at heart and they are looking to be proactive to see our needs - not just paying us lip service. That has been very helpful from our first baseline test through the plans we have to begin more exercise diversification in 2020.

My love affair with KnowBe4

Overall Satisfaction with KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training