In short: Security awareness training software delivers short cyber security lessons and simulated phishing emails to staff, tracks who completes training and who clicks, and reports on how risk changes over time. Many platforms add policy acceptance and dark web checks. Products are licensed per user, usually on monthly or annual terms.
What is security awareness training software?
Technology stops most attacks, but people still decide whether to click a link, approve an MFA prompt or act on an urgent payment request. Security awareness training software helps them make the right call.
A typical platform includes:
- Training content: short videos and quizzes on phishing, passwords, social engineering, data protection and working remotely, often in a weekly or monthly rhythm
- Phishing simulations: realistic test emails, with instant teaching moments for anyone who clicks
- Reporting: completion rates, click and report rates and a risk score by person or team
- Policy management: staff read and accept your IT and data protection policies
- Automation: enrolment from Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, and adaptive training based on each user's results
Examples include usecure, HacWare, Breach Secure Now and the training modules in suites such as Proofpoint, Hornetsecurity and IRONSCALES.
Good programmes focus on behaviour rather than box-ticking. The aim is for people to recognise suspicious messages, report them quickly and feel comfortable admitting a mistake, because an early report is often what turns a possible breach into a minor incident. Platforms that reward reporting and keep content short and relevant tend to get better engagement than long annual courses.
Security awareness training: vendors and products we supply
- Acronis: Backup, disaster recovery, EDR, email security, RMM and protected servers on one platform.
- Acronis Security Awareness Training: Video courses and phishing simulations for staff, billed monthly.
- Breach Secure Now: Micro-training, phishing simulations, dark web monitoring and policy sign-off, run for you.
- Breach Secure Now Breach Prevention Platform: Weekly micro-training, phishing tests, dark web checks and policies, per seat.
- Breach Secure Now HIPAA compliance: HIPAA risk assessment, training and policies for UK firms with US health data.
- Check Point: Endpoint, email, SASE, mobile, browser, WAF and MDR licences in one Check Point Portal tenant.
- Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration: API-based email and collaboration security (formerly Avanan), licensed per user.
- Guardz: Managed identity, email, endpoint and awareness security for small businesses, with 24/7 MDR.
- Guardz Managed security plans: Pro, Ultimate and Elite plans compared, run for you and licensed per user.
- HacWare: Automated AI phishing simulations and micro training, per user, monthly or annual.
- HacWare Security awareness training: Pro, Pro + LMS and Plus + SMS: AI phishing tests, micro training, LMS and SMS phishing.
- IRONSCALES: AI email security, awareness training, DMARC and encryption for Microsoft 365.
- IRONSCALES Security Awareness Training: Training videos and AI phishing simulation linked to real threats, per user.
- Proofpoint: Proofpoint Essentials email security, archiving and awareness training, per user.
- Proofpoint Security Awareness Training: Phishing simulations and staff training alongside Proofpoint Essentials, per user.
- Sophos: Endpoint, EDR, XDR, MDR, firewall, email and mobile security licences, managed in Sophos Central.
- Sophos Phish Threat: Phishing simulation and awareness training, licensed per enrolled user.
- usecure: Automated awareness training, phishing simulation, policies and breach monitoring.
- usecure Human risk management: Training, phishing, policies and breach monitoring in one per-user plan.
- usecure uBreach Pro: Domain-wide dark web monitoring, alerts and remediation tracking for usecure.
- Webroot: Lightweight cloud endpoint protection, DNS filtering and awareness training.
- Webroot Security Awareness Training: Phishing simulations and short courses for staff, licensed per seat.
What to look for
- Content quality and length: short, relevant, UK-appropriate material is more likely to be watched
- Automation: once set up, the programme should run without weekly admin
- Realistic simulations that reflect current lures, including QR code and MFA fatigue attacks
- A report button in Outlook or Gmail that feeds results back to the platform
- Evidence for compliance: records that support UK GDPR accountability, cyber insurance and frameworks such as ISO 27001
- Multi-language content if your workforce includes staff whose first language is not English
- Targeted training for high-risk roles such as finance, HR and executive assistants, who are more often targeted by payment fraud and impersonation
How awareness training is licensed
Training platforms are licensed per user, sometimes in tiers that add phishing simulation, policy management or dark web monitoring. Some email security suites include training as an add-on, which can be cheaper than a separate product. Monthly billing suits organisations with changing headcount. Our per-user vs per-device licensing guide explains how to keep user counts accurate.
Check whether the licence includes all content and simulation templates, or whether some courses, languages or compliance modules cost extra. Also confirm that leavers can be removed automatically so you do not keep paying for them.
How to choose
- Decide what you want to change: click rates, reporting rates, or policy compliance.
- Check the content suits your sector and staff, including non-desk workers.
- Look at the admin time needed each month.
- Start with a baseline phishing test, then measure improvement over six months.
- Share results with managers in a positive way: highlight improvement and reporting, not just who clicked.
Our specialist Security Awareness Training site covers the subject in depth, including phishing simulation and choosing training software.
How we help
We supply training licences on your Forever Systems account, set up user sync and a sensible programme, and help you read the reports. Contact us and ask us for a quote.
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
How often should staff have security awareness training?
Short, regular sessions work better than an annual course. Many platforms send a few minutes of training each week or month, with phishing simulations throughout the year.
Is phishing simulation legal in the UK?
Yes, when done responsibly with management approval, a clear purpose and handling of results in line with UK GDPR. Tell staff the programme exists, even if individual tests are unannounced.
Does Cyber Essentials require security awareness training?
No. Cyber Essentials focuses on technical controls. Training is still widely recommended by the NCSC and expected by many cyber insurers and customers.