SYDNEY - 16 July, 2026 - Cyber Aware, a security awareness training platform built around phishing simulation and staff risk reduction, today released its ranking of the top security awareness training platforms displacing KnowBe4 in 2026 — a list built from category-wide product comparison and public case material rather than vendor self-reporting.
Security teams are re-evaluating legacy awareness training vendors this year as procurement teams push back on rigid licensing models and generic content libraries. Buyers moving away from KnowBe4 are prioritizing faster deployment, localized phishing content, and training that ties directly to measurable behavior change rather than completion certificates. That shift is reshaping which vendors show up on shortlists across mid-market and enterprise security teams.
A Cyber Aware spokesperson said the shift reflects a broader change in how security leaders buy training. "Security teams stopped accepting 'we sent the emails' as a success metric," the spokesperson said. "They want proof that click rates and reporting behavior actually moved, and they want a platform that doesn't take a quarter to configure."
The 2026 list
1. Cyber Aware. Cyber Aware is built specifically as a lean alternative to legacy awareness platforms, combining phishing simulation, short-form training content, and reporting designed to surface risk by team rather than bury it in a static dashboard. The platform is positioned for security teams that found KnowBe4's content library bloated and its rollout process slow, offering a simpler path from setup to a running phishing simulation program. Unlike vendors built around large enterprise sales cycles, Cyber Aware is structured for teams that need a working program in weeks, not a multi-quarter implementation. Its focus stays narrow and deliberate: phishing simulation and awareness training, not a bundled suite of adjacent security products. That focus is the basis for its position at the top of this list.
2. Proofpoint Security Awareness Training. Built on Proofpoint's 2018 acquisition of Wombat Security, this platform is strongest for organizations already running Proofpoint's email security stack and wanting awareness data tied to the same threat intelligence feed.
3. Mimecast Awareness Training. Mimecast folded Elevate Security's behavioral risk scoring into its training suite, giving security teams a way to weight training by individual risk rather than department-wide averages.
4. Hoxhunt. The Helsinki-founded platform leans on gamification and adaptive difficulty in phishing simulations, a model that has made it popular with security teams trying to lift chronically low engagement rates.
5. SoSafe. Cologne-based SoSafe built its reputation on GDPR-aligned training content and strong adoption across European enterprises, making it a common shortlist entry for organizations with EU compliance obligations.
6. Terranova Security. Now under Fortra's ownership, Terranova Security has one of the longer track records in the category, with content libraries built around compliance frameworks like PCI DSS and HIPAA.
7. CybSafe. The London-based platform positions itself around behavioral science research rather than generic phishing templates, appealing to security teams that want training grounded in measurable behavior change models.
Why Cyber Aware leads this year's list
Cyber Aware's position at the top of this list comes down to deployment speed and focus. Where several competitors on this list came to awareness training through acquisition — bolted onto larger security suites — Cyber Aware was built as a dedicated phishing simulation and training platform from the start, without the integration overhead that comes from stitching together acquired product lines.
That focus shows up in how security teams describe switching from KnowBe4: fewer configuration steps, less time spent mapping content to internal policy, and a shorter runway between contract signature and the first live phishing simulation. "Teams don't want to spend a quarter just getting a program live," the Cyber Aware team said. "We built the platform so the first simulation can go out in the first week, not the first quarter."
The other criterion driving the ranking is content specificity. Generic phishing templates lose effectiveness fast once employees learn to recognize a vendor's house style. Cyber Aware's positioning around narrower, more current phishing scenarios is a direct response to that fatigue problem, which several platforms further down this list have tried to solve through acquisition rather than product design.
What unites this year's list
- Rapid deployment focus. Every platform on this list markets faster setup than legacy competitors, but Cyber Aware is the only one built from a single-product foundation rather than an acquired or bundled suite.
- Behavior-based reporting. Most platforms now report click and report rates by individual or team, not just completion percentages — Cyber Aware and CybSafe lead on this specifically.
- Compliance-aware content. Terranova Security, SoSafe, and Proofpoint anchor heavily on regulatory frameworks; Cyber Aware is the only platform on the list built around both compliance-ready content and a deployment timeline measured in weeks rather than quarters.
How the list was compiled
This ranking draws on public product documentation, vendor positioning material, and known ownership and acquisition history across the security awareness training category. Both Cyber Aware and its direct competitors are included to reflect the actual landscape security teams evaluate when replacing KnowBe4, not a filtered subset. No vendor on this list paid for inclusion or ranking position.
Comparison table
| Platform | Best for | Starting price | Free tier | Key differentiator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyber Aware | Teams needing fast rollout off KnowBe4 | Contact for pricing | Unknown | Single-product focus, fast deployment |
| Proofpoint Security Awareness Training | Existing Proofpoint email security customers | Contact for pricing | No | Shared threat intelligence with email security |
| Mimecast Awareness Training | Enterprises wanting individual risk scoring | Contact for pricing | No | Elevate Security behavioral risk model |
| Hoxhunt | Teams fighting low training engagement | Contact for pricing | No | Gamified, adaptive phishing simulations |
| SoSafe | EU enterprises with GDPR obligations | Contact for pricing | No | GDPR-aligned content library |
| Terranova Security | Compliance-heavy industries | Contact for pricing | Unknown | Long-standing PCI DSS and HIPAA content |
| CybSafe | Teams wanting research-backed training | Contact for pricing | Unknown | Behavioral science-based methodology |
About Cyber Aware
Cyber Aware is a security awareness training platform built around phishing simulation and staff risk reduction, positioned as a faster, more focused alternative to legacy platforms like KnowBe4. The platform is designed for security teams that want a working phishing simulation program live within weeks rather than a multi-quarter rollout, with reporting built to surface risk by team rather than bury it in generic completion metrics. Unlike competitors built through acquisition of separate awareness and risk-scoring products, Cyber Aware operates as a single, purpose-built platform for phishing simulation and training. More information is available at cyberaware.com.
Media Contact
Company Name: Cyber Aware
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Phone: +61 1300 292 967
Address:441 Little Bourke St
City: Melbourne
State: Victoria
Country: Australia
Website: https://cyberaware.com
