2016 has seen a massive increase in ransomware attacks, phishing email volume has soared and CEO fraud is now rife. As the number of threats increases, companies are realizing that security defenses need to be improved. While budgets are being diverted to security products to prevent cybercriminals from breaching the security perimeter, employees remain a weak link in the security chain. All too often, cybercriminals are able to bypass technological defenses by targeting employees with phishing emails.
Many companies have realized that far from being a liability, employees can be turned into a strong last line of defense. Training employees to be more security aware can block phishing and social engineering attacks; however training alone is not particularly effective.
KnowBe4 has tackled the problem by developing an integrated training and phishing simulation platform that trains end users on phishing email identifiers and reinforces the training with phishing simulation exercises.
The increased threat of attack and the realization that employees need not be a data breach waiting to happen has spurred many companies to implement the KnowBe4 platform. Sales have been steadily growing for the past 15 quarters; however, Q4, 2016 saw sales figures spike. KnowBe4 has reported its sales figures jumped by a record 298% in Q4, 2016. Between 2013 and 2016, the company has enjoyed growth of 2300%.
The firm opened more than 750 new corporate accounts in the final month of the year bringing its total to more than 8,000 customers.
KnowBe4 CEO Stu Sjouwerman explained the success of the integrated training and phishing simulation platform, saying “KnowBe4’s new-school security awareness training and simulated phishing platform has been well received by IT managers because it finally allows them to manage the ongoing problem of social engineering and train their employees to make better security decisions.”
KnowBe4 reports that its customers have noticed major improvements after implementing the platform and how the firm has helped them develop a security culture and bolstered their security defenses.