knowbe4-vs-proofpoint-security-awareness-training

KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training and Proofpoint Security Awareness are both security awareness training software designed to train and test users on defending against social engineering attacks such as phishing. Both software options are most popular with larger enterprises, likely because as staff sizes increase, it becomes more difficult to train staff without a dedicated tool.  

Features

KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training and Proofpoint Security Awareness both provide essential security awareness features, but they also have some unique features that set them apart from each other.

KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training provides over 2,000 phishing templates, allowing businesses to safely test their staff’s vulnerability to social engineering attacks and report on the results. Social Engineering tests can also be automated using KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training’s artificial intelligence tools, which can push social engineering tests out through email, text, or voicemail.

Proofpoint Security Awareness provides detailed and customizable reporting tools that can be run after each phishing simulation campaign.  Businesses can use Proofpoint Security Awareness reporting features to see where there are vulnerabilities in their organization.  Proofpoint Security Awareness also provides a simple to use interface for creating phishing simulations and generating reports.

Limitations

KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training and Proofpoint Security Awareness both help businesses to defend their organization against social engineering attacks, but they also have some limitations that are important to consider.

KnowBe4 Security Awareness includes tools for testing users on social engineering attacks, but its reporting features are more limited than the detailed reports businesses can generate with Proofpoint Security Awareness. Additionally, while KnowBe4 provides a variety of email templates, many uses find they need some customizing to be presentable as social engineering tests.

Proofpoint Security Awareness does not include significant automation tools, so if your organization wants to run tests automatically, KnowBe4 Security Awareness may be a better choice.  Additionally, while the interface for creating tests and reports is straightforward with Proofpoint Security Awareness, its interface for managing large amounts of users is less flexible.  If your business makes frequent staffing changes, software with better user management may be preferred.

Pricing

Pricing for KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training is dependent on the number of users, as well as the feature needs of the organization.  Pricing starts as low as $8.00 per user per year, but can reach as high as $29.50 per user per year.

Pricing for Proofpoint Security Awareness depends on the size of the business in question.  Organizations can reach out to the vendor for a detailed quote.