KnowBe4
About
KnowBe4 is the world's largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform with over 65,000 customers. Founded by Kevin Mitnick (deceased 2023) and Stu Sjouwerman. HIPAA compliance training modules with documented completion tracking for audit evidence. PCI DSS, SOX, and GDPR training libraries. Taken private by Vista Equity Partners in 2023. The platform-scale alternative to TFS's white-glove phishing simulation services.
Details
VenSearch Intelligence
Ideal Customer
- KnowBe4's platform is technically available to organizations as small as 25 users (direct) and scales to global enterprises with tens of thousands of seats.
- The bulk of its verified customer base skews small-to-midmarket — approximately 29.5% of matched customers have 11–50 employees, and 24.8% have 51–200 employees — but its deepest product value and enterprise feature set are best leveraged by organizations with 200+ employees that have a dedicated IT or security awareness program manager.
Key Differentiators
- KnowBe4 claims the world's largest library of security awareness training content and the largest integrated phishing simulation platform, now serving 70,000+ organizations globally and leveraging 15+ years of behavioral data.
- Its key differentiators include its AI-native AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Defense Agents) platform, a proprietary Human Risk Score that personalizes training at the individual employee level, and the PhishER Plus capability that automates SOC response to user-reported phishing at scale.
Industries Served
- KnowBe4 serves a broad cross-section of industries, with particular depth in financial services (banks, insurers, credit unions, fintechs), healthcare, government and public sector, education, energy and utilities, manufacturing, technology, retail, and insurance.
- Historically, 25% of enterprise accounts have been banks and credit unions, and the platform has long prioritized highly regulated verticals requiring documented compliance training — particularly healthcare (HIPAA) and finance (PCI, SOX).
Service Coverage
- KnowBe4 operates globally, headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, with regional offices in England, the Netherlands (Utrecht), Germany, South Africa, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Norway, and the UAE.
- The company serves more than 70,000 organizations worldwide, with its strongest markets in North America and Western Europe.
Partnerships
- KnowBe4 maintains a broad technology alliance ecosystem with over 70 integrated vendor solutions, including deep integrations with Microsoft (KnowBe4 Defend integrates with Microsoft Defender for Office 365 quarantine, and KnowBe4 was ranked a top app in the Microsoft Azure Active Directory gallery), CrowdStrike (SecurityCoach uses Falcon platform telemetry for real-time coaching), Okta (SecurityCoach integration for risky account activity), Splunk, SentinelOne, Palo Alto Networks, Mimecast, Sophos, and Synthesia (AI video content).
- Its channel program supports VARs, MSPs, and MSSPs through a tiered reseller and MSP partner program with deal registration, resale margins, and MSP monthly billing — though the MSP program requires a 101-user minimum per client account.
Company Size & Ownership
- KnowBe4 was founded in 2010 by Stu Sjouwerman and currently employs approximately 2,600–2,800 people globally as of 2026.
- Revenue is estimated in the range of $475M–$500M+ annually by third-party sources, with ARR exceeding $347M as of Q3 2022 before going private.
Compliance & Certifications
- KnowBe4 holds an extensive compliance and certification portfolio: SOC 2 Type 2 (all five Trust Services Criteria), SOC 3, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO 27701:2019 (privacy), ISO 27017:2015 (cloud security), ISO 27018:2019, ISO 42001:2023 (AI management), FedRAMP Moderate ATO (since November 2023), CSA STAR Level 1, Cyber Essentials (UK), GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, EU-US Data Privacy Framework, and accreditation by Italy's National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN).
- The platform is also PCI-compliant from inception and its security architecture aligns with NIST 800-53.
Compiled from public sources by VenSearch · Last researched October 14, 2026
Offerings
4 offeringsCompliance Training
Regulatory compliance training modules covering HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOX, GDPR, CCPA, FERPA, and industry-specific requirements. Browser-based courses with tracking and reporting for audit documentation. Relevant for VenSearch's healthcare clients needing documented HIPAA training for staff.
PhishER Plus
AI-powered phishing email triage and response platform. When employees report suspicious emails, PhishER automatically analyzes, categorizes, and responds — quarantining threats across the entire organization in seconds. Turns the employee into a sensor and automates the SOC response to reported phishing.
Phishing Simulation
Automated phishing simulation campaigns with thousands of customizable templates mimicking real-world attacks. Tracks employee click rates, reporting rates, and susceptibility over time. Generates compliance documentation for HIPAA, PCI, and other frameworks requiring security training evidence. Directly comparable to TFS's phishing simulation service.
Security Awareness Training
The world's largest library of security awareness training content with thousands of modules covering phishing, social engineering, ransomware, HIPAA compliance, PCI compliance, and general cyber hygiene. Interactive browser-based training with quizzes, gamification, and completion tracking. Over 65,000 customers. Competes with TFS's training services but at platform scale — TFS is white-glove, KnowBe4 is self-service.
Considering KnowBe4?
Our team will work with you to determine if KnowBe4 is the right fit for your organization. From research and assessment through procurement negotiation and ongoing vendor management — we handle the entire process at no cost to you.