Accuvant, Inc. Offers KnowBe4’s Defense-in-Depth Security Awareness Training – Helps Clients More Efficiently Address Urgent Social Engineering Security Concerns

Tampa Bay, FL (PRWEB) September 30, 2013

KnowBe4, one of the fastest growing providers of advanced security awareness training, today announced a partnership with Accuvant, Inc. to provide KnowBe4’s Kevin Mitnick Security Awareness Training to Accuvant clients. The training, which is provided via a highly scalable, cloud-based infrastructure, is designed to help enterprise-level organizations quickly solve the increasingly urgent problem of social engineering.

As phishing and social engineering tactics became sophisticated and difficult to detect, KnowBe4 collaborated with Kevin Mitnick, once the “world’s most wanted hacker,” to help organizations defend against network security by developing an enhanced security awareness training product. KnowBe4’s Kevin Mitnick Security Awareness Training is interactive, web-based, and includes case studies, live demonstration videos and short tests. As Accuvant is known as an authoritative source for information security, KnowBe4 CEO, Stu Sjouwerman, feels that partnership with the company is a logical step in providing the public with greater access to much-needed security awareness training.

“Cyber-crime has gone pro the last five years – cyber-criminals start with spear-phishing emails and then deploy advanced penetration skills,” said Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of KnowBe4. “Trend Micro recently reported that 91% of successful data breaches started with a spear-phishing attack – the key to ending spear-phishing attacks is to educate employees to refrain from clicking that one link or opening that infected attachment that could compromise an entire business.”

By combining Accuvant’s comprehensive program-wide security framework with KnowBe4’s Kevin Mitnick Security Awareness Training and ongoing phishing security tests, Accuvant customers will be able to train all employees and continue to send year-round, regular simulated phishing attacks, creating a “human firewall” that blocks spear-phishing attacks and APT’s.

Kevin Mitnick’s Security Awareness Training combines simulated phishing attacks with engaging and effective online training. The initial training session can be completed in 30 to 40 minutes. Students are tested before and after the training and receive ongoing simulated phishing attacks after training is completed, as well as regular “hints and tips” to make them aware of other types of social engineering tricks. Those users who fall for the simulated phishing attacks can receive instant remedial training. An admin console provides before-and-after reports with instant graphs detailing the effectiveness of the training so executives can get the insight they need to maximize training ROI and track security compliance.

“Developing a human barrier keeps security top of mind for the whole organization, from the board on down to the mail room, as it only takes one click to penetrate the network,” said Ping Look, Accuvant Education Practice Manager. “A strong security program begins with awareness training that educates all employees about their organization’s corporate escalation policies and the inherent dangers of the technology they use.”

KnowBe4 and Accuvant have committed to helping customers maximum network security where all employees are aware enough to ward off potential security threats. The two partners together provide the keys to a successful, defense-in-depth cyber security approach.

KnowBe4 is comprised of over 300 customers, 42% of which are banks and credit unions, and has successfully reduced the rate of employees clicking on spear-phishing links by up to 80% or higher.

For more information about KnowBe4 and its services, contact KnowBe4 online at http://www.knowbe4.com.

About Stu Sjouwerman and KnowBe4:

Stu Sjouwerman is the founder and CEO of KnowBe4, LLC, which provides web-based Security Awareness Training to small and medium-sized enterprises. A data security expert with more than 30 years in the IT industry, Sjouwerman was the co-founder of Inc. 500 company Sunbelt Software, an award-winning anti-malware software company that he and his partner sold to GFI Software in 2010. Realizing that the human element of security was being seriously neglected, Sjouwerman decided to help entrepreneurs tackle cybercrime tactics through advanced security awareness training. He and his colleagues work with companies in many different industries, including highly-regulated fields such as healthcare, finance and insurance. Sjouwerman is the author of four books, with his latest being Cyberheist: The Biggest Financial Threat Facing American Businesses Since the Meltdown of 2008.

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