In short: Proofpoint Essentials Security Awareness Training is a per-user add-on to Proofpoint Essentials that brings Proofpoint's awareness training and phishing simulation to smaller organisations, licensed for the same users as your email package and billed monthly. It helps staff recognise the convincing messages that filtering can miss. Ask us for a quote.
What it is
Email filtering stops most attacks, but none stops all of them, and the messages that get through are usually the most convincing. Proofpoint Essentials Security Awareness Training prepares staff for those messages. It is an add-on for organisations using Proofpoint Essentials, licensed per user and managed alongside your email security.
The aim is not a once-a-year tick-box course. It is a regular cycle: test people with realistic simulated phishing, teach the ones who need it, and check whether behaviour improves.
What is included
Proofpoint's security awareness training is built around two activities:
| Element | What it does |
|---|---|
| Phishing simulation | Realistic simulated phishing emails sent to all staff or chosen groups, to see who clicks and who reports |
| Training content | Short lessons on phishing, passwords, safe web use, data protection and other everyday risks |
| Results | Reporting on simulation and training activity so you can see where to focus |
Proofpoint's current awareness content and campaign options change over time, and Proofpoint now also sells a separate Security Awareness Service for its larger platform. We confirm exactly what the Essentials add-on includes for your account when we set it up, so you know what you are buying before you commit.
How it is licensed
Security Awareness Training is licensed per user and billed monthly with your Proofpoint Essentials subscription. You license the people you want to train, which is normally everyone with a mailbox.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is counted | Each user you enrol in training |
| Do I need Essentials? | Yes, it is an add-on to a Proofpoint Essentials account |
| How is it billed? | Monthly, per user, alongside your email package |
Because it is an add-on, you will usually license it for the same users as your email package. Prices depend on the number of users, so ask us for a quote. For background on how per-user subscriptions work, see per-user vs per-device licensing.
Why it matters
UK GDPR expects organisations to take appropriate organisational measures to protect personal data, and staff training is one of the most obvious. Cyber insurance proposal forms often ask whether you train staff and test them with phishing simulations, and the results from a programme like this help you answer.
Training also supports the human side of Cyber Essentials, whose technical controls work best when staff spot suspicious requests and report them. For more on building a programme, see security awareness training for employees and phishing simulation.
How we help
We switch on the add-on, import users and groups, and agree a programme with you: a baseline phishing test, a training schedule and a reporting rhythm that suits your leadership team. We start gently so staff do not feel caught out, then raise the difficulty as results improve. We also encourage a no-blame culture: the goal is for people to report suspicious messages quickly, and a member of staff who reports a real phishing email after clicking it is doing exactly the right thing.
Results come back to you in plain English, with suggestions on where to focus next. Licences sit on your Forever Systems account with Proofpoint Essentials. If you want to compare dedicated training platforms, see our security awareness training category.
How Forever Systems supplies your software licences
Forever Systems Ltd supplies business software subscriptions to UK organisations from one account, with one monthly invoice and a UK team who know the products.
- The right edition first time: we check what you need before you buy, so you are not paying for features you will never use
- Monthly or annual terms where the vendor offers them, and help timing renewals and commitments
- Licence changes handled for you: add or remove users, upgrade editions and true-up without starting a new contract
- Deployment and support from engineers who run these products every day, not just a reseller account
- Consolidated billing and renewal reminders so nothing lapses unexpectedly
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations of all sizes.
Need a licence quote or a second opinion on your renewal?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
Do I need Proofpoint Essentials to use this training?
Yes. Proofpoint Essentials Security Awareness Training is an add-on to Proofpoint Essentials and is normally licensed for the same users as your email package.
How is Proofpoint Essentials Security Awareness Training licensed?
Per user, billed monthly alongside your Proofpoint Essentials subscription.
Does it include phishing simulations?
Yes. Simulated phishing is a core part of the programme, alongside short training lessons. We confirm the current content and campaign options for your account when we set it up.
How often should we run phishing tests?
We usually suggest a baseline test first, then regular simulations with short training in between, at a pace your staff can absorb. We agree a schedule with you based on your results.