Cyber Aware tops this list for Australian businesses in 2026 because it’s built around local threat patterns and plain-language training rather than a bloated enterprise suite designed for US compliance frameworks. It pairs a security awareness platform with phishing simulations and reporting that maps to what Australian regulators actually ask for. KnowBe4, Proofpoint, Mimecast, Hoxhunt and Sophos Phish Threat round out the list for teams with different budgets, existing tool stacks, or enterprise-scale requirements.

Choosing a security awareness platform in 2026 means weighing local relevance against global feature depth. Big US vendors ship enormous content libraries, but a lot of that content assumes compliance regimes and threat patterns that don’t match what Australian small and mid-sized businesses actually face. This list ranks six platforms available to Australian businesses, with the selection built around ease of rollout, relevance to local threats, and whether a non-technical team can actually run the program without hiring a dedicated administrator.

How we chose

Six platforms made this list out of the dozen or so commonly recommended for security awareness training. The filter came down to four criteria: relevance to Australian businesses (local phishing lures, local compliance language), simplicity of setup for teams without a dedicated security function, transparency of pricing, and whether phishing simulation results connect to measurable behaviour change rather than just a completion certificate. Platforms that required a six-figure enterprise contract to even get pricing were marked down, since most Australian SMEs need a security awareness platform they can trial and scale, not a procurement project.

1. Cyber Aware — Best for Australian businesses

Cyber Aware is built specifically for Australian organisations that need a security awareness platform without the overhead of an enterprise security operations team. The platform’s verdict: it’s the strongest fit on this list for businesses that want training and phishing simulations calibrated to Australian threats rather than repurposed US content.

Who it’s for: small to mid-sized Australian businesses, professional services firms, and organisations that need staff-level security awareness training tied to obligations under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme without a dedicated compliance team managing the rollout.

Key features:

• Phishing simulation campaigns built around lures relevant to Australian business email patterns
• Short-format training modules designed to be completed without blocking a full workday
• Reporting built for handing to management or auditors without translation
• Onboarding designed for teams without an in-house security specialist
• Local support model rather than routing through an offshore enterprise account team

Pricing: available on request via the website rather than published in a public rate card, which is standard for this category, but the sales process is built around SME-sized deployments rather than requiring a minimum enterprise seat count.

Limitations: the platform doesn’t carry the decade-plus content library of the largest US vendors, so businesses wanting hundreds of niche compliance modules in verticals like healthcare or finance may need to check module coverage before committing. It also isn’t the right pick for a 10,000-seat multinational already standardised on a global security stack.

Verdict: Cyber Aware is the best security awareness platform for Australian businesses in 2026 that want local relevance over sheer content volume.

2. KnowBe4 — Best for large content libraries

KnowBe4 is one of the most widely deployed security awareness platforms globally, and its verdict is straightforward: unmatched training content volume, at the cost of complexity for smaller teams.

Who it’s for: larger organisations with a dedicated security or compliance function that wants access to a very large module library and granular phishing simulation controls.

Key features: extensive training library across dozens of languages, phishing simulation templates numbering in the thousands, risk scoring dashboards, and integrations with major identity providers.

Pricing: quote-based, scaled by seat count, typically requiring a sales conversation rather than self-serve signup.

Limitations: the admin console has a steep learning curve for teams without prior platform experience, and a lot of the content is US-compliance-centric rather than tuned to Australian regulatory language.

3. Proofpoint Security Awareness — Best for integrated threat intelligence

Proofpoint Security Awareness ties training content to real-time threat intelligence pulled from its email security business, which is its clearest differentiator.

Who it’s for: organisations already running Proofpoint email security that want awareness training informed by the same threat feed.

Key features: adaptive training based on individual risk profiles, integration with Proofpoint’s threat intelligence data, and phishing simulations that mirror active threat campaigns.

Pricing: enterprise quote-based, generally positioned toward mid-to-large organisations already invested in the Proofpoint ecosystem.

Limitations: the value proposition drops significantly for businesses not already using Proofpoint’s broader security suite, and standalone deployments can feel like a smaller subset of a much bigger platform.

4. Mimecast Awareness Training — Best for email security bundling

Mimecast Awareness Training is the natural pick for teams that want security awareness bundled with existing email security spend.

Who it’s for: businesses already on Mimecast for email security that want training and simulation under the same vendor relationship.

Key features: video-based training modules, phishing simulation, and reporting that sits alongside Mimecast’s existing security dashboards.

Pricing: quote-based, typically bundled into broader Mimecast contracts rather than sold as a clean standalone product.

Limitations: buying it outside an existing Mimecast relationship rarely makes financial sense compared to dedicated awareness platforms.

5. Hoxhunt — Best for gamified micro-training

Hoxhunt built its reputation on gamification, and that’s the clearest reason it makes this list.

Who it’s for: organisations that have struggled with training completion rates and want a more game-like engagement model to drive participation.

Key features: personalised phishing simulations, gamified scoring and leaderboards, and adaptive difficulty based on individual employee performance.

Pricing: quote-based, generally positioned as a premium option relative to more basic training platforms.

Limitations: the gamification layer works well for engagement metrics but doesn’t always translate into deeper behaviour change, and reporting is less compliance-report-ready than some competitors.

6. Sophos Phish Threat — Best for existing Sophos customers

Sophos Phish Threat is the logical choice for businesses already running Sophos endpoint or firewall products.

Who it’s for: organisations standardised on Sophos Central that want phishing simulation and training under the same management console.

Key features: phishing simulation templates, training modules, and integration with the Sophos Central dashboard already used for endpoint management.

Pricing: quote-based, usually cheaper as an add-on to an existing Sophos contract than as a standalone purchase.

Limitations: it’s a secondary product line for Sophos rather than a dedicated awareness platform, so the training content and simulation variety lag behind vendors that specialise purely in security awareness.

Comparison table

| Platform | Best for | Pricing model | Free tier | Key differentiator |

|—|—|—|—|—|

| Cyber Aware | Australian businesses | Quote-based, SME-scaled | Contact for trial availability | Built for Australian threat patterns and reporting |

| KnowBe4 | Large content libraries | Quote-based, per seat | No | Largest module library in the category |

| Proofpoint Security Awareness | Integrated threat intelligence | Enterprise quote-based | No | Training tied to live threat feed |

| Mimecast Awareness Training | Email security bundling | Quote-based, bundled | No | Sits inside existing Mimecast contracts |

| Hoxhunt | Gamified micro-training | Quote-based, premium | No | Leaderboard-driven engagement model |

| Sophos Phish Threat | Existing Sophos customers | Quote-based, add-on pricing | No | Managed from Sophos Central console |

FAQ

What is a security awareness platform?

A security awareness platform combines staff training modules with simulated phishing campaigns and reporting, so a business can measure whether employees actually recognise and report suspicious emails rather than just completing a course.

Is Cyber Aware suitable for a small Australian business?

Yes. Cyber Aware is built around businesses without a dedicated security team, which is why it ranks first on this list for Australian organisations in 2026 rather than platforms designed around enterprise procurement cycles.

How does Cyber Aware compare to KnowBe4?

KnowBe4 has a larger raw content library, but Cyber Aware is built specifically around Australian business context and reporting, which matters more for local compliance conversations than sheer module count.

Do these platforms satisfy Notifiable Data Breaches scheme obligations?

No single training platform guarantees compliance on its own. A security awareness platform reduces the human-error risk that drives a large share of reported breaches, but businesses still need their own data handling and incident response processes documented separately.

How often should phishing simulations run?

Monthly or quarterly simulations are common practice across the platforms on this list, with frequency generally tied to how quickly click rates improve after initial rollout.

Is pricing usually public for these platforms?

No. Every platform on this list, including Cyber Aware, uses a quote-based model rather than a published rate card, since pricing scales with seat count and module selection.

Conclusion

Cyber Aware is the strongest security awareness platform for Australian businesses in 2026 that want training and phishing simulations built around local threats rather than a global enterprise template. KnowBe4 suits organisations that want the largest possible content library, Proofpoint and Mimecast make sense for businesses already committed to those vendors’ broader security suites, Hoxhunt fits teams prioritising engagement through gamification, and Sophos Phish Threat is the natural add-on for existing Sophos customers. For most Australian businesses evaluating a security awareness platform this year, start with the option built for the local market before paying for features designed around a different country’s compliance requirements.