KnowBe4, leaders in integrated security awareness training and anti-phishing tools, announced the release of a new version of the Kevin Mitnick Security Awareness Training 2015™. This brand-new, high quality web-based interactive training uses case-studies, live demonstration videos and short tests along with automated phishing tests. With the surge of ransomware like Cryptolocker and CryptoWall in 2014, updates were made to teach users how to recognize and avoid these threats.The training also specializes in making sure employees understand the mechanisms of spam, phishing, vishing, spear-phishing, malware and social engineering and also includes a condensed 15-minute version for executives that specifically focuses on Advanced Persistent Threats..
“Any IT manager will tell you his weakest link is the user”, said Stu Sjouwerman (pronounced “shower-man”), KnowBe4 founder and CEO. “The vast number of data breaches and high profile hacks create a risk and liability for companies that can be avoided by stepping users through effective security awareness training. It is no longer a luxury or just a compliance item, but a vital necessity”.
According Gartner research vice president Andrew Walls, enterprises are concerned by the "reputational issues" associated with suffering a breach. Retailers Target and Home Depot, for instance, were criticized in the wake of massive data breaches when information leaked showed serious missteps within their respective security programs. Enterprises can throw as many technologies as they want at the breach problem, but if employees are still likely to open phishing emails, training becomes a necessity. Should a high-profile incident occur, enterprises fear facing similar criticisms from customers and shareholders that employees weren't properly trained.
"Enterprises want it on the record that they told their people all this stuff, that they have the skills," said Walls.
KnowBe4’s Chief Hacking Officer Kevin Mitnick stated, “In most cases, their involvement is unintentional – they unknowingly allow access to corporate networks simply because they don’t know what to watch out for. That is why our training focuses on learning how it works and regular phishing tests to keep awareness high.This allows organizations to create a ‘human firewall’ that actively works to prevent network security breaches.”
Kevin Mitnick Security Awareness Training 2015™ includes all new videos, added features for the admin like updated summary information about your phishing security tests, Top Culprits, CSV formats for download, bubble graphs with number of clicks per hour, improved filters and new custom templates you can clone, edit and send to users. Also included are custom landing pages where users can be directed to after clicking on a test link. The program allows IT managers to stay on top of growing security concerns, compliance requirements and ensure users are able to apply this knowledge in their day-to-day job. Each case study ends with its own short multiple choice test, there is a quiz at the end of the training, and trainees get a unique job-aid: Social Engineering Red Flags™ with 22 things to watch out for.
The condensed 15-minute version focuses on Advanced Persistent Threats and is available in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese and Chinese (Mandarin).
Regularly-scheduled phishing security tests with customizable emails help keep employees on their toes. 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. These tools provide an administrator with everything he needs in a simple, easy-to-use format that makes user training fast and relatively painless.
For more information visit www.KnowBe4.com
About Stu Sjouwerman and KnowBe4
Stu Sjouwerman (pronounced “shower-man”) is the founder and CEO of KnowBe4, LLC, which provides web-based Security Awareness Training (employee security education and behavior management) 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. KnowBe4 services hundreds of customers in a variety of industries, including highly-regulated fields such as healthcare, finance and insurance and is experiencing explosive growth with a surge of 427% in 2013 alone. Sjouwerman is the author of four books, with his latest being Cyberheist: The Biggest Financial Threat Facing American Businesses.
About Kevin Mitnick
Kevin Mitnick is an internationally recognized computer security expert with extensive experience in exposing the vulnerabilities of complex operating systems and telecommunications devices. He gained notoriety as a highly skilled hacker who penetrated some of the most resilient computer systems ever developed. Today, Mitnick is renowned as an information security consultant and speaker, and has authored three books, including The New York Times best seller Ghost in the Wires. His latest endeavor is a collaboration with KnowBe4, LLC.
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