Top 10 Security Awareness Training Platforms in 2026
Human error remains the leading cause of security incidents, which is why security awareness training is now a standard best practice across industries. Organizations typically deploy a combination of phishing simulations and structured training modules to reduce click-through rates, mitigate risky behavior, and meet compliance requirements.
This guide compares ten widely used security awareness training solutions, using a consistent format for quick evaluation and easy reference.
Last reviewed: February 2026
How to evaluate security awareness training
Security awareness platforms typically differ in four key areas:
Behavior change: Does the anti-phishing training measurably reduce click-through rates and risky behavior over time?
Human risk categories: Can IT and SOC teams identify high-risk employees and high-value targets, and apply risk-based training and protective measures accordingly?
Operational workload: How much ongoing effort is required to set up and manage campaigns, handle phishing-related workload, and generate reporting?
In-the-moment support: Does the platform train, coach, and protect employees within their daily workflows?
1. Phished: Eliminating incidents caused by human error
Phished is an AI-driven security awareness platform that combines interactive cybersecurity training with patented zero-trust email technology. Their approach helps companies move toward a zero-incident rate by preventing incidents caused by human error and unreliable spam filters. The Phished holistic platform also eliminates all phishing-related workload for the IT team.
What it does
Phished focuses on differentiated learning paths for high-risk employees, first-time clickers, and high-target roles. The platform combines:
Realistic, behavior-driven phishing simulations with positive reinforcement that teach employees how to recognize malicious emails and threats
A structured, end-to-end learning curriculum covering cybersecurity topics such as password security, AI usage, remote work risks, data handling, HR-related cybersecurity, compliance, and more
Actionable cyber hygiene practices that guide employees in securing their accounts, devices, applications, and daily digital habits
Real-time threat alerts that keep employees informed about active threats, emerging attack techniques, and relevant industry developments
Progress is quantified through the Behavioral Risk Score™ and dashboards, for both IT and management, that track resilience at individual, team, and organizational levels.
The Phished Assistant: Personal SOC Center for each employee
Phished includes a Phished Assistant, a personal cybersecurity coach in the employee’s inbox that provides 24/7 support. Employees can report simulations, malicious emails, spam, or potential incidents and receive immediate AI-driven analysis—without requiring IT intervention. There are no waiting times, and employees can act independently.
Capabilities include:
Report simulations: Automatically deletes simulations from the inbox after reporting and delivers interactive learning feedback for coaching on the spot.
Report malicious emails: AI-powered analysis and automated email handling without IT intervention
Report spam and unsubscribe: Automated email handling without IT involvement
Report potential incidents: User interaction is reported with full integration into incident response workflows
Pros of Phished
Risk-based training tailored by user profile
Behavioral Risk Score™ for measurable, board-ready reporting
Anti-phishing training fully integrated with zero-trust email security
Security awareness training designed to eliminate IT workload
Cons of Phished
Teams seeking a content-library-only tool may not fully leverage the model
Best outcomes require combining security awareness training with email protection—not simulations alone
2. KnowBe4: Large & well-known, sometimes complex to manage
KnowBe4 is widely adopted and known for its extensive content library and program tooling, which can benefit organizations seeking a broad range of training assets and templates.
Pros of KnowBe4
Extensive content library with frequent updates
Benchmarking and reporting suited for mature programs
Large ecosystem of integrations and partners
Cons of KnowBe4
Large, purchased content libraries that are continually expanded over time can lead to inconsistent curricula
Scientific research indicates that simulation-based training produces limited long-term behavioral change (see also: Black Hat 2025)
3. Proofpoint security awareness: threat data at the core
Proofpoint emphasizes human risk management informed by threat intelligence, positioning training and simulations as part of a broader strategy to identify high-risk individuals and reduce exposure.
Pros of Proofpoint
Alignment with threat intelligence for timely scenarios and program focus
Explicit focus on identifying high-risk individuals and measuring human risk
Strong fit for large organizations already standardized on Proofpoint
Cons of Proofpoint
Some teams may prefer more prevention-first coaching workflows over incident-adjacent program designs
Reports may need to be adjusted for non-security stakeholders, depending on how the program is implemented.
4. SoSafe: AI-driven and personalized
SoSafe highlights personalized, behavior-based simulations and awareness training informed by behavioral science and adaptive mechanics.
Pros of SoSafe
Personalization by role and behavior for greater relevance
Gamified, story-based training designed to reduce the learning fatigue
Adaptive difficulty based on user performance
Cons of SoSafe
Gamification may feel overly playful for some corporate cultures
Organizations seeking built-in protective controls may require additional security layers
5. Riot Security: Emerging, AI-first program automation
Riot positions itself around rapid deployment, automated campaigns, and low-maintenance phishing simulation workflows.
Pros of Riot Security
Practical phishing training with automated targeting to reduce administrative overhead
Integrations supporting synchronization across common collaboration tools
Additional features such as hotline and breach alerts (depending on the plan)
Cons of Riot Security
Because their AI-generated content can lack depth, some buyers may look for stronger evidence of scalability, robust reporting, and program maturity.
Strong focus on the French market
6. Cofense: Specialist in Phishing Response
Cofense is best known for phishing defense and response workflows, with integrated tools such as a report button to help employees report suspicious emails.
Pros of Cofense
Strong reporting and response workflows
Designed for organizations prioritizing phishing triage and SOC integration
Phishing-specific threat analysis that feeds directly into incident response
Cons of Cofense
Organizations focused on long-term behavior change for their employees may seek deeper coaching capabilities
Awareness may be secondary to response, depending on program design
7. Mimecast awareness training: Short & Accessible
Mimecast emphasizes rapid deployment and concise training content paired with phishing simulations.
Pros of Mimecast
Phishing simulations built for fast setup and repeatable campaign execution
Short, engaging training videos that are easy to roll out at scale
Good fit for establishing and maintaining baseline security awareness
Cons of Mimecast
Teams seeking advanced behavioral analytics and risk scoring will need additional tools
Long-term culture-building programs may need deeper segmentation and reinforcement
8. Abnormal: Threat-driven awareness
Abnormal is best known for AI-native email security, and extends into awareness with an AI Security Mailbox—turning real attacks seen in your environment into relevant simulations, just-in-time training, and automated handling of employee-reported emails.
Pros of Abnormal
Training and simulations informed by real attack patterns targeting the organization
Just-in-time coaching after user failure to reinforce learning in context
Automation for employee-reported email triage to reduce SOC/IT workload
Cons of Abnormal
Less non-phishing content variety compared with other tools
Analytics/reporting can feel more SOC-centric than management-ready
9. Hoxhunt: Gamification with personalization
Hoxhunt positions its platform around personalized, gamified training and automation designed to measurably reduce risky behavior over time.
Pros of Hoxhunt
Gamified approach that can boost engagement and completion rates
Adaptive, personalized simulations and training based on user behavior
Strong focus on behavior-based metrics such as reporting rate and time-to-report
Cons of Hoxhunt
Can create significant ongoing administrative workload for IT and security teams
Often emphasizes identifying failures over proactive, preventive coaching that helps users avoid future mistakes
10. Fable Security
Fable Security positions itself as an automation-first phishing awareness platform, focused on continuous phishing simulations, behavioral nudges, and minimal administrative overhead.
Pros of Fable Security
Automated phishing campaigns requiring minimal setup and ongoing management
Continuous, bite-sized learning instead of sporadic training
Simple deployment and user-friendly interface suited for lean security teams
Cons of Fable Security
Primarily phishing-focused, with less breadth across broader cybersecurity topics
More limited advanced risk scoring and enterprise-level analytics compared to larger platforms
Conclusion
Security awareness platforms are converging on the same outcome—reducing human risk—but they still differ in how they get there. Some prioritize content volume, others focus on threat intelligence, personalization, gamification, response workflows, or professional skill development.
For organizations aiming to measurably reduce incidents caused by human error, the strongest programs typically combine:
Training that stays relevant, practical, and easy to complete
Clear visibility into risk through meaningful, decision-ready metrics
In-the-moment support that helps employees verify, report, and act safely inside daily workflows
Phished’s approach—interactive training plus Behavioral Risk Score™ measurement, paired with protective support through Zero Incident Mail™ (ZIM) and the Phished Assistant—is built to connect awareness directly to operational risk reduction and a lower incident rate.