Cyber threats don’t just target big corporations anymore. Startups, remote teams, and even small businesses are all in the crosshairs. And no matter how advanced your tech stack is, your employees are still your biggest vulnerability.
That’s why cybersecurity awareness training is essential. Not optional. One careless click on a phishing link can cost you thousands—or worse, your reputation.
But here’s the good news: human risk is manageable. You just need the right training.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through what makes a cybersecurity training program actually effective—and spotlight the top-rated options for 2025.
What makes a great cybersecurity awareness training program?
A great program doesn’t just check a compliance box. It changes behavior. It makes security second nature to your team—whether they’re working from a coworking space in Bali or a café in Berlin. Here’s what to look for:
1. Real-world relevance
The best training programs use real threats, not textbook scenarios. Think phishing emails, smishing attacks, and social engineering tactics employees actually face. Your team needs to recognize red flags in the wild—not just in a demo environment.
2. Engaging content
Let’s be honest—nobody remembers a boring slideshow. Great training is short, sharp, and maybe even funny. Whether it’s microlearning, gamified quizzes, or storytelling, the content has to stick. If employees enjoy it, they’ll remember it—and that’s the goal.
3. Behavior-focused learning
This is where most programs fall short. Good training doesn’t just inform—it transforms. It helps build healthy habits and rewires risky ones. Whether it’s pausing before clicking a link or reporting suspicious messages, the goal is to turn awareness into action.
4. Customization and flexibility
Your team isn’t one-size-fits-all, and your training shouldn’t be either. Look for platforms that let you tailor content based on roles, regions, and risk levels. If you’re onboarding a new hire in Vietnam or running a refresher for a finance lead in Sydney, the program should flex with you.
5. Strong reporting and analytics
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Top training platforms give you clear data: who’s completed what, who’s at risk, and how your organization is trending over time. That way, you can make data-driven decisions and strengthen weak spots fast.
6. Continuous updates
Cybersecurity isn’t static. New threats emerge every week. Your training needs to stay current, especially during initiatives like Cybersecurity Awareness Month when attacks spike. Choose a program that updates content regularly to reflect the latest threat landscape.
7. Integration with your IT ecosystem
The best solutions don’t live in a silo. Look for training tools that integrate with your identity provider, HRIS, or device management system. When your cybersecurity awareness training works hand in hand with onboarding and IT security policies, it’s easier to scale—and harder for things to fall through the cracks.
10 top-rated cybersecurity awareness training programs (2025 edition)
Here are three standout programs leading the way in 2025:
- ESET cybersecurity awareness training
ESET, widely known for its antivirus software, also offers a strong cybersecurity awareness training platform designed to target the weakest link in your security chain: your people.
What stands out:
- Built by cybersecurity experts with a deep understanding of threat behavior
- Courses available in multiple languages, ideal for distributed teams
- Covers phishing, password hygiene, safe browsing, and remote work security
- Short, interactive modules that make it easy to integrate into a busy schedule
ESET’s training emphasizes real-life scenarios and microlearning, which works well for companies who want to reduce risk without overwhelming employees with long, technical lessons.
Best for: Businesses looking for simple, reliable training that scales across regions
- Ninjio cybersecurity awareness training
Ninjio takes a creative spin on training that many traditional platforms lack. Instead of dull lectures or slide decks, Ninjio delivers bite-sized, animated episodes modeled after real cyberattacks—each one voiced by Hollywood actors and written by screenwriters.
What stands out:
- Each episode is based on an actual, recent security incident
- Story-driven, emotional content improves retention and engagement
- New content is released every month to stay ahead of evolving threats
- Highly memorable training that helps shift employee behavior
It’s perfect for remote-first startups trying to build a security-first mindset—especially among employees who might not have a technical background.
Best for: Teams who want engaging, story-based training that actually sticks
- KnowBe4 security awareness training
KnowBe4 is arguably the most recognized name in the security awareness training space—and for good reason. It offers a massive content library, smart phishing simulations, and risk-based training paths.
What stands out:
- Largest platform in the space with 60k+ global customers
- AI-driven phishing simulations tailored to user behavior
- Compliance modules for GDPR, HIPAA, PCI, and more
- Easy-to-use admin dashboard with deep analytics and reporting
KnowBe4 doesn’t just focus on phishing—it offers full-spectrum training covering everything from mobile device security to social engineering. With its adaptive learning model, you can tailor the experience by department, role, or individual risk profile.
Best for: Growing companies who need scalability, depth, and compliance coverage
- Proofpoint security awareness training
Proofpoint brings a data-driven approach to employee security training. It uses threat intelligence gathered from millions of real-world email attacks to build highly targeted training modules and phishing simulations. The result? Smarter training and faster behavior change.
What stands out:
- Personalized learning based on employee risk profiles
- Uses real phishing threats seen across Proofpoint’s threat detection network
- Includes phishing simulations, threat reporting, and adaptive training paths
- Detailed analytics to track vulnerability and progress at an individual level
What makes Proofpoint particularly powerful is how it aligns its training with actual threats targeting your organization—so employees are training against the attacks they’re most likely to face.
Best for: Mid-size to large companies that want to personalize training and respond to live threats
- Cofense PhishMe security awareness training
Cofense is laser-focused on one thing: phishing defense. Its flagship product, PhishMe, goes beyond traditional simulations by turning employees into active defenders through hands-on learning and user-generated threat reporting.
What stands out:
- Realistic phishing simulations based on evolving threat vectors
- Encourages employee reporting to create a human sensor network
- Tracks behavioral data to identify at-risk users and tailor future training
- Seamlessly integrates with SIEMs and email security platforms
Cofense is a great choice if phishing is your top concern—and let’s be honest, for many distributed teams, it is. The platform helps build a culture of alertness where employees don’t just avoid threats—they actively report them.
Best for: Organizations focused on phishing resilience and user reporting
- Infosec IQ security awareness training (by Cengage)
Infosec IQ, now part of Cengage Group, is a robust platform with over 2,000 training resources. It’s designed to help businesses of all sizes deliver engaging and measurable training that leads to long-term behavior change.
What stands out:
- Massive library of videos, quizzes, posters, and phishing simulations
- Content localized in multiple languages for global teams
- Role-based learning paths for IT, HR, finance, and more
- Compliance-ready with SCORM support for LMS integration
Infosec IQ also allows you to create training campaigns that align with cybersecurity awareness month or other internal security initiatives—making it easier to embed a security culture across your company.
Best for: Businesses seeking a customizable, scalable solution with deep content variety
- Cybermaniacs security awareness training
Cybermaniacs offers a refreshing take on security awareness by blending humor, storytelling, and behavioral science. Their unique approach includes interactive training modules, phishing simulations, and quizzes designed to improve employees’ knowledge of security threats such as phishing, malware, and data protection.
What stands out:
- Interactive training modules and phishing simulations
- Customizable content tailored to specific organizational needs
- Tracking employee progress and generating reports to assess training effectiveness
Cybermaniacs is ideal for organizations seeking to engage employees in cybersecurity training through innovative and entertaining methods.
Best for: Companies looking to foster a strong security culture through engaging and personalized training experiences.
- Living Security security awareness training
Living Security focuses on managing human risk by delivering innovative training solutions to reduce human risk and secure organizations. Their approach integrates behavioral science to foster a security-first culture among employees.
What stands out:
- Interactive training and security awareness programs
- Analytics tools to measure and improve cybersecurity posture
- Tailored role-based and risk-based courses to ensure relevance
Living Security is well-suited for organizations aiming to proactively safeguard against human-induced security incidents by focusing on behavior change.
Best for: Enterprises seeking to integrate human risk management into their cybersecurity strategy.
- SoSafe security awareness training
SoSafe offers a comprehensive, human-centered design for security awareness training, grounded in behavioral science. Their platform delivers continuous learning that empowers employees to identify, avoid, and report threats confidently.
What stands out:
- Personalized phishing simulations and risk scoring
- Culture automation to foster a strong security culture
- Quick implementation with a managed-service option
SoSafe is particularly effective for organizations aiming to build an agile security culture and reduce human risk efficiently.
Best for: Businesses looking for scalable, personalized training solutions that integrate seamlessly into existing systems.
- Huntress security awareness training (formerly Curricula)
Huntress provides a managed security awareness training solution that combines story-based lessons with expert management. Their platform features memorable, story-driven episodes designed to engage users and ensure retention of security lessons.
What stands out:
- Deployment takes just minutes and can be fully managed by security experts
- Story-based episodes from award-winning animators
- Regular updates to ensure content remains relevant with the latest cybersecurity threats
Huntress is ideal for small to mid-sized businesses seeking an effective, low-maintenance training solution.
Best for: Organizations needing a fully managed, engaging security awareness program with minimal administrative overhead.
Make cybersecurity awareness part of your culture
Investing in cybersecurity awareness training programs isn’t just a smart move—it’s a must. The tools you choose today will shape the habits and behaviors your team brings into every Slack message, email click, and file share tomorrow.
Here’s the truth: no matter how advanced your security tools are, human error remains the biggest risk. But it’s also the most fixable—if you have the right training in place.
So, where do you go from here?
- Start by picking a program that matches your team’s size, learning style, and risk exposure
- Roll it out as part of your onboarding and continuous learning strategy
- Reinforce it during key moments, like cybersecurity awareness month
- Pair training with strong IT practices to build a truly secure workplace
And if you need help with that last part—that’s where Esevel comes in. We make it easy to equip and support your distributed teams across Asia Pacific with secure devices, endpoint protection, and compliance-ready IT support. Our platform lets you manage devices, automate onboarding and offboarding, and ensure every team member is supported from day one.
