Popcorn Training Acquired by KnowBe4

Security awareness training and phishing simulation platform provider KnowBe4 has announced it has acquired the South African training company Popcorn Training. The acquisition will see the South African company’s 52 training modules incorporated into the KnowBe4 training library.

Popcorn Training is an award-winning training firm with a global customer base. The firm is known for developing engaging training content and has developed an extensive collection of training material that is now used by companies around the world to develop their employees and help them learn new skills.

Popcorn Training was included in Gartner’s Challengers Magic Quadrant for Security Education Awareness Computer-Based Training in 2014 and was positioned in the Visionaries quadrant in 2016.

While Popcorn Training modules will be provided to KnowBe4 customers, the Cape Town and Johannesburg-based company will continue to operate under the same brand name and will operate as a separate and independent subsidiary of Tampa Bay-based KnowBe4.

KnowBe4 has fast become one of the leading providers of security awareness training content and anti-phishing technology. The firm’s training material and phishing simulation platform are now used by more than 16,000 companies around the world to improve their defenses against phishing threats, CEO fraud, and social engineering attacks.

KnowBe4 training material has been developed by the internationally recognized hacker turned security expert, Kevin Mitnick – KnowBe4’s Chief Hacking Officer.

The acquisition of Popcorn Training will see the company’s extensive training library bolstered, with users benefitting from Popcorn’s engaging interactive content.

“We are excited about becoming part of the KnowBe4 family for a number of reasons. Firstly, it will allow us to expand our offering and integrate with KnowBe4’s best of breed phishing & training solutions. Secondly, by becoming KnowBe4’s representative for the African region, we look forward to building content and solutions that are applicable to the African context. Thirdly, the transaction enables us to continue to grow and to stay focused on what we love doing, which is creating high-quality cyber security awareness content,” said Popcorn Training CEO, Anna Collard.

“We are delighted to have a new creative content team on board and are very enthused about expanding our footprint into South Africa,” said KnowBe4 CEO, Stu Sjouwerman.

Author: Richard Anderson

Richard Anderson is the Editor-in-Chief of NetSec.news