A convincing phishing email does not need to defeat your firewall. It only needs one busy employee to approve a Microsoft 365 sign-in, open a malicious attachment or change bank details without checking. The best phishing training platforms help businesses turn that moment of uncertainty into a safer, repeatable decision – without treating staff as the weak link.
For UK small and mid-sized businesses, the right choice is rarely the platform with the longest feature list. It is the one that fits your workforce, produces useful management information and can be run consistently alongside your wider cyber security controls.
What a phishing training platform should do
Phishing awareness should be more than an annual compliance video. A worthwhile platform combines short, relevant learning modules with simulated phishing emails. It should then show where risk remains: whether people are clicking links, entering credentials, reporting suspicious messages or ignoring the exercise altogether.
The most effective programmes are ongoing. Threats change quickly, and attackers increasingly use trusted brands, urgent payment requests, QR codes and AI-written messages that do not contain the spelling mistakes staff have been told to look for. Regular simulations keep security front of mind while giving managers a clear picture of progress.
For many organisations, ease of administration matters just as much as content quality. Look for single sign-on, Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace integration, automated user provisioning, scheduled campaigns and reports that make sense to non-specialists. If a system takes hours to manage each month, it will eventually be left behind.
9 best phishing training platforms to consider
1. KnowBe4
KnowBe4 is one of the best-known names in security awareness training and is often a strong fit for organisations wanting a broad content library and mature reporting. It offers phishing simulations, training modules, risk scoring and campaign templates covering a wide range of threats.
Its scale is a benefit for businesses that need detailed configuration and content choices. The trade-off is that the breadth of options can feel substantial for a smaller team. It is best suited to organisations prepared to spend time tailoring campaigns and reviewing the available tools.
2. Hoxhunt
Hoxhunt takes a behavioural approach, using frequent simulations and immediate feedback to encourage employees to spot and report suspicious emails. Its gamified format can help maintain participation, particularly where traditional awareness training has been met with low enthusiasm.
This approach works well when a business wants to build a positive reporting culture rather than simply measure failures. Consider whether gamification will suit your organisation’s culture, however. In more formal environments, leadership may prefer a quieter, compliance-led programme.
3. Cofense PhishMe
Cofense PhishMe focuses strongly on the human detection and reporting side of email security. It is a sensible option for businesses that want staff to act as an additional line of defence and have a defined process for investigating reported messages.
It is particularly relevant where security teams need more than awareness metrics and want phishing reports to support incident response. Smaller businesses should check how much internal resource they will need to get the full value from its wider capabilities.
4. Proofpoint Security Awareness Training
Proofpoint’s training offering is designed to sit within a wider email security strategy. It provides adaptive learning, simulations and reporting intended to identify and reduce risky behaviours over time.
For businesses already using Proofpoint’s email security services, the closer alignment can simplify management and provide a more joined-up view of email risk. If you are not in that ecosystem, compare the cost and administration against a specialist training provider before committing.
5. Mimecast Awareness Training
Mimecast Awareness Training is another practical choice for organisations that already rely on Mimecast for email protection. It combines awareness content with phishing assessments and reporting, allowing businesses to address the people and technology elements of email security together.
The main advantage is consolidation. Security administrators can avoid another separate platform and use familiar reporting arrangements. As with any suite-based option, make sure the training experience itself meets your needs rather than choosing it solely because it is available in an existing contract.
6. Microsoft Attack Simulation Training
Microsoft Attack Simulation Training is included with certain Microsoft 365 licensing plans and enables administrators to run realistic attack simulations, including credential harvesting and malware attachment scenarios. For businesses already invested in Microsoft 365, it can be a cost-effective starting point.
It is strongest when used alongside Microsoft Defender tools and a well-managed Microsoft 365 environment. Its learning content and programme management may not be as extensive as dedicated awareness platforms, so it may be better for organisations with straightforward requirements or those beginning to formalise their training.
7. usecure
usecure is a UK-based security awareness platform offering automated training, phishing simulations and user risk profiling. Its focus on automation can be attractive to smaller IT teams that need a programme to run reliably without constant manual intervention.
It is worth considering where a business wants targeted learning based on individual user behaviour, rather than sending the same course to everyone. Ask for a clear view of reporting outputs and integration options during evaluation, particularly if you need evidence for audits or cyber insurance.
8. NINJIO
NINJIO uses short, story-led video training based on real cyber incidents. This can be effective for employees who disengage from conventional e-learning, as it explains the consequence of a bad decision in practical terms.
Its format is a strength where engagement is the main challenge. It should still be paired with phishing simulations, reporting guidance and clear internal processes, because watching a compelling video is not the same as recognising a live malicious email under pressure.
9. Curricula
Curricula provides awareness training with an emphasis on approachable content and phishing simulations. It is often considered by businesses looking for a less formal user experience while retaining the core features required to run recurring campaigns.
It can suit companies that want to improve participation without making cyber training feel punitive. As with any platform, review the available UK-relevant content, campaign customisation and reporting depth to ensure it supports management oversight as well as employee engagement.
How to choose between phishing training platforms
A product demonstration should answer practical questions, not just showcase attractive dashboards. Start with your people: office-based staff, remote workers, frontline teams and senior leaders face different risks and may need training delivered in different ways.
Then assess each option against the areas that will affect long-term results:
- Simulation quality: Can you vary difficulty, use realistic brand impersonation and test current attack methods such as QR-code phishing?
- Training relevance: Is content short, understandable and suitable for UK employees, including those who are not desk-based?
- Reporting: Can managers see completion, click rates, reporting rates and improvement over time without needing specialist security knowledge?
- Integration and administration: Does it work with your identity platform, automate user changes and reduce manual effort?
- Support and governance: Can you set sensible rules for campaign timing, employee privacy, escalation and follow-up training?
Price should be evaluated in the same practical way. A lower licence cost is not necessarily better value if it creates significant administration or gives little evidence that employee behaviour is improving. Equally, an enterprise platform can be excessive if a smaller business only needs regular simulations, concise training and clear board-level reporting.
Make the programme supportive, not punitive
The purpose of simulated phishing is to reduce the likelihood and impact of a real incident. It should not be used to embarrass people or create league tables of poor performers. Staff who fear blame are less likely to report a suspicious email, and a prompt report can prevent a wider breach.
Set expectations before the first campaign. Explain that simulations will take place, why they matter and how employees should report concerns. When someone clicks, provide immediate, focused coaching rather than a generic warning. When someone reports a suspicious message correctly, acknowledge that behaviour.
It also helps to connect training with clear operational controls. Employees need to know how to verify a payment request, where to report a suspected phishing email and who can approve a change to supplier bank details. Technology, process and training work together; none is a complete answer alone.
A platform is only the start
The best phishing training platforms can give your business valuable visibility into human risk, but results come from consistency. A short monthly simulation, relevant follow-up learning and straightforward reporting will usually achieve more than one large annual campaign.
If phishing training is part of a wider managed IT and cyber security plan, it becomes easier to connect employee behaviour with email protection, multi-factor authentication, backup, incident response and the controls that keep the business operating. Choose a platform your team can maintain, then give people the confidence to pause, check and report when something does not look right.
The Blowfish Technology team. Managed IT, cloud services, software development and connectivity for North West businesses since 1999.