core sector communique

KnowBe4 Introduces Kevin Mitnick Security Awareness Training™

New Internet Security Awareness Training From KnowBe4 and Kevin Mitnick Arms Employees Against Spear-Phishing Attacks and Social Engineering Tactics

(CLEARWATER, Fla.,) July 09, 2012 – Internet Security Awareness Training (ISAT) firm KnowBe4, LLC, and security expert Kevin Mitnick are pleased to announce the release of Kevin Mitnick Security Awareness Training™. Once the world’s most wanted hacker, Mitnick now applies his expertise to help organizations defend against network security breaches. He recently joined KnowBe4 as Chief Hacking Officer and collaborated with the company to develop an enhanced Security Awareness Training product.

“Companies have come to rely on KnowBe4 for industry-leading Internet security awareness training. Now that Kevin has joined our team, we are able to provide personal insights from the man who was able to breach some of the world’s most complex and highly protected computer systems,” explained Stu Sjouwerman (pronounced “shower-man”), KnowBe4 founder and CEO. “Kevin has more than 33 years of first-hand hacking experience, and this marks the first time that his expertise has been made available to organizations in a Web-based format.”

As phishing and social engineering tactics become increasingly sophisticated and difficult to detect, Sjouwerman and Mitnick emphasize the importance of educating employees to recognize these network security threats. “Cybercriminals are constantly devising cunning new ways to trick users into clicking their links or downloading attachments, and their malware continues to evolve,” warned Sjouwerman. “For example, most people are aware that they should avoid clicking on executable files. However, as Kevin demonstrates in a 2-minute video that is part of our security awareness training, seemingly innocuous documents such as Microsoft Word® files can be infected with malware. That’s why it’s essential for employees to be able to identify and avoid social engineering red flags.”

“The threat posed by malware should not be underestimated, particularly considering that employees have consistently proven to be the weak link in companies’ Internet security efforts,” noted Mitnick. “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’s why our Internet security awareness training is designed to ensure they understand the mechanisms of spam, phishing, spear-phishing, malware and social engineering, and are able to apply this knowledge on the job. This allows organizations to create a ‘human firewall’ that actively works to prevent network security breaches.”

KnowBe4’s Kevin Mitnick Security Awareness Training is interactive, web-based, and includes case studies, live demonstration videos and short tests. The initial training session can be completed in 30 to 40 minutes. Afterward, regularly-scheduled phishing security tests help keep employees on their toes. Those 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.

To help organizations determine their phishing “attack footprint,” KnowBe4 offers a free email exposure check (EEC), which will reveal all corporate email addresses that are publicly available to cybercriminals. Companies may also request a free phishing security test to determine the percentage of employees who are Phish-prone™, or susceptible to phishing attacks.

To learn more about KnowBe4’s Kevin Mitnick Security Awareness Training and to access additional cybercrime prevention resources, visit http://www.knowbe4.com.

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.

About Stu Sjouwerman and KnowBe4

Stu Sjouwerman is the founder and CEO of KnowBe4, LLC, which provides web-based Internet Security Awareness Training (ISAT) to small and medium-sized enterprises. A data security expert with more than 30 years in the IT industry, Sjouwerman was the cofounder 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 Internet security awareness training. He and his colleagues work with companies in many different industries, including highly regulated field such as healthcare, finance and insurance. Sjouwerman is the author of four books; his latest is Cyberheist: The Biggest Financial Threat Facing American Businesses Since the Meltdown of 2008.