CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Cynet vs KnowBe4

Cynet sells an AI-powered platform that unifies endpoint, identity, network, email, SaaS, cloud, SIEM and automation. KnowBe4 sells attack simulation and training, email and collaboration security, and agent security through the KnowBe4 Platform. CISO Tribune files both under Email security. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

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  • Cynet
  • KnowBe4
Cynet vs KnowBe4: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
CynetCynet sells an AI-powered platform that unifies endpoint, identity, network, email, SaaS, cloud, SIEM and automation.cynet.comKnowBe4KnowBe4 sells attack simulation and training, email and collaboration security, and agent security through the KnowBe4 Platform.knowbe4.com
What it sells
  • CyOps 24x7 MDR[1][9]CyOps analysts monitor, investigate and respond around the clock.
  • Email Security[3]Email security covering detection, prevention and automated response for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and other cloud email gateways.
  • Security Awareness Training[4][5][7]Education on recognizing threats, reinforced with phishing and vishing simulations.
  • Cloud Email Security[10]A suite of AI-driven products for inbound and outbound email.
  • Defend[1][4][5][6][10][11]Inbound email protection against phishing, ransomware and business email compromise.
  • Prevent[5][10][12]Outbound email protection and data loss prevention.
  • Compliance Plus[13]Compliance training platform.
  • Student Edition[5]Security awareness training for academic institutions.
  • BreachSim[14]A free tool to identify network vulnerabilities.
  • Weak Password Test[15]A free tool that finds users with weak passwords.
Categories
Headquarters
Not stated on its pagesClearwater, United States
Founded
Not stated on its pages2010[1]
Ownership and funding
Not stated on its pagesOwned by Vista Equity Partners since 2023[2][4][8][9]
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
  • September 25, 2026Cynet introduced dedicated regional infrastructure in Canada as part of its v5.0 release, to help customers address data residency requirements.[14]
  • April 28, 2026Cynet announced new capabilities for its CyAI engine that learn from CyOps investigations and automated analysis.[15]
  • May 5, 2026KnowBe4 launched a two-tier Security Awareness Training offering and a new AI defense agent for custom content creation.[7]
  • April 6, 2026Dashlane announced an integration with KnowBe4 that links credential risk detection to security training for at-risk users.[18]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: listed, seen November 11, 2026[16]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: listed, seen November 4, 2026[8]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: listed, seen November 4, 2026[9]
Who it fits
Cynet addresses banks, credit unions, regional lenders and fintech companies. Cynet addresses government agencies at the state, county and municipal level. Cynet addresses retailers that operate with small, overextended teams. Cynet delivers always-on protection built for academic environments, including schools and universities.Not written yet
Last verified
November 11, 2026September 27, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Cynet and KnowBe4 are both filed under Email security.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Cynet's primary category is EDR and XDR; KnowBe4's is Security awareness training.
  • Cynet is also filed under MDR and managed SOC and SIEM. KnowBe4 is also filed under Human risk management and AI model and agent security.
  • Cynet lists CyOps 24x7 MDR and Email Security. KnowBe4 lists Security Awareness Training, Cloud Email Security, Defend, Prevent, Compliance Plus and 3 more.
  • KnowBe4 is headquartered in Clearwater, United States.
  • KnowBe4 was founded in 2010.
  • KnowBe4 is owned by Vista Equity Partners, since 2023.

What it sells: Cynet

What CyOps 24x7 MDR does[1][9]
CyOps is Cynet's Cyber SWAT team and is available 24x7 for Incident Response and other urgent monitoring services. Threat hunting, incident guidance and on-demand forensics are included with every Cynet license. When automation escalates, CyOps investigates, hunts and guides remediation on every shift.
What Email Security does[3]
Cynet scans every link before and after delivery to stop credential theft and redirects. Cynet removes malicious emails from every inbox automatically. Cynet blocks phishing, impersonation and malicious attachments across Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.

What it sells: KnowBe4

What Security Awareness Training does[4][5][7]
KnowBe4 says it delivers timely, personalized education that helps people recognize threats. Lessons are reinforced with realistic phishing and vishing simulations.
What Cloud Email Security does[10]
KnowBe4 Cloud Email Security is a suite of AI-driven products designed to detect and prevent advanced email threats across inbound and outbound communication. Contextual banners and prompts are delivered at the point of risk.
What Defend does[1][4][5][6][10][11]
Defend detects and blocks phishing, ransomware and business email compromise with behavioral AI and self-learning threat models. Defend inserts color-coded banners on flagged email and rewrites links, checking them at time of click. Defend integrates with Microsoft Defender for Office 365 through API-based connectivity.
What Prevent does[5][10][12]
Prevent monitors outbound email in real time and alerts users to risky behavior, such as accidental sends or misdirected emails. Prevent is integrated with Microsoft Outlook and Office 365. Prevent Enterprise adds misdirected content detection and custom DLP policies.
What Compliance Plus does[13]
Compliance Plus has a training library of 1000+ items of compliance training content. Compliance Plus offers targeted training for requirements such as HIPAA, PCI and GDPR. Organizations can upload SCORM-compliant content to the KnowBe4 LMS.
What Student Edition does[5]
The KnowBe4 Student Edition enables academic institutions to prepare students to identify and prevent modern cyberattacks. Its training content covers phishing, BYOD risks, password hygiene, social media risks and campus scams.
What BreachSim does[14]
BreachSim is a free tool from KnowBe4 to identify network vulnerabilities. BreachSim tests over 12 realistic data exfiltration scenarios following the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
What Weak Password Test does[15]
The Weak Password Test is a free tool to help IT Administrators know which users have passwords that are easily guessed. It checks the Active Directory and generates a report of users with weak passwords.

Questions about Cynet and KnowBe4

What do Cynet and KnowBe4 sell?
Cynet sells CyOps 24x7 MDR and Email Security. KnowBe4 sells Security Awareness Training, Cloud Email Security, Defend, Prevent, Compliance Plus and 3 more.
Are Cynet and KnowBe4 in the same category?
They share Email security. Cynet's primary category is EDR and XDR and KnowBe4's is Security awareness training.
Where are Cynet and KnowBe4 headquartered?
KnowBe4 is headquartered in Clearwater, United States.
When were Cynet and KnowBe4 founded?
KnowBe4 was founded in 2010.
Who owns Cynet and KnowBe4?
KnowBe4 is owned by Vista Equity Partners, since 2023.
Who are Cynet and KnowBe4 sold to?
Cynet addresses banks, credit unions, regional lenders and fintech companies.
What have Cynet and KnowBe4 announced recently?
September 25, 2026: Cynet introduced dedicated regional infrastructure in Canada as part of its v5.0 release, to help customers address data residency requirements. May 5, 2026: KnowBe4 launched a two-tier Security Awareness Training offering and a new AI defense agent for custom content creation.

About Cynet

Cynet sells an AI-powered platform that unifies endpoint, identity, network, email, SaaS, cloud, SIEM and automation. Cynet unifies endpoint, identity, cloud, SaaS, network, mobile, email and MDR in one AI-powered platform. Cynet connects with tools that IT and security teams already use, such as RMM, PSA, Identity, SIEM, Cloud and SOAR. Cynet's predefined playbooks isolate infected systems, block malicious traffic and eliminate threats across the environment.[1][2][3][4][10]

When automation escalates, CyOps investigates, hunts and guides remediation on every shift. CyOps analysts monitor, investigate and respond around the clock, with threat hunting, incident guidance and on-demand forensics included with every Cynet license. CyOps is Cynet's Cyber SWAT team and is available 24x7 for Incident Response and other urgent monitoring services. The CyOps team is made of security analysts and researchers. Cynet has a global team of MDR analysts that monitors, investigates and responds around the clock, including proactive threat hunting and guided remediation.[1][3][4][5][6]

Cynet provides NGAV, EDR and XDR on every endpoint running Windows, macOS and Linux. Cynet endpoint protection uses AI static and behavioral analysis to identify malicious binaries and terminate malicious processes at runtime. Cynet uses multiple prevention layers to stop malware, exploits, credential theft, ransomware and fileless attacks before they can execute or spread. Cynet correlates endpoint, user, network and deception signals to surface high-confidence threats. Cynet identifies early-stage ransomware behavior, correlates it across the environment and takes action before damage spreads. Cynet helps partners continuously identify vulnerable endpoints, misconfigurations and posture gaps. Cynet identity protection provides ITDR and user-behavior analytics across identity systems such as Active Directory. Cynet detects anomalous logins, impossible travel and session hijack. Cynet response actions include isolating hosts, killing processes, revoking sessions, disabling users and removing malicious emails.[3][4][7]

Cynet detects threats and anomalous behaviors across the network by analyzing interactions with devices and users. Cynet identifies patterns of activity indicative of malicious network scanning across hosts and subnets. Cynet identifies attacks targeting the DNS infrastructure, including tunneling and poisoning. Cynet lets administrators choose detection or prevention mode to alert on or block connections to malicious domains. Cynet lets administrators create category-based web policies and configure which categories to track or block from the Cynet UI.[3][8]

Cynet email security covers detection, prevention and automated response, and protects Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and other cloud email gateways. Cynet removes malicious emails from every inbox automatically. Cynet identifies, prioritizes and remediates risks across SaaS and cloud environments. Cynet maps configuration settings against frameworks such as NIST, PCI DSS and HIPAA, with pre-built reporting. Cynet Mobile Threat Protection (MTP) covers Android, iOS and ChromeOS devices against known and zero-day threats, whether the devices are connected or offline. Cynet automates log collection and compliance reporting through its SIEM and Centralized Log Management capabilities.[3][4][9]

Cynet protects OT/IT systems, supply chains, plant floor identities and production environments from ransomware, lateral movement and insider threats. In healthcare, Cynet protects EHRs, clinical systems, medical IoT and care provider identities. Cynet secures government systems, cloud workloads and legacy environments with built-in support for NIST, FISMA and compliance mandates. Cynet delivers always-on protection built for academic environments, including schools and universities. Cynet secures in-store and online operations, third-party integrations and customer data across every location. Cynet detects POS-specific malware, ransomware and anomalous behaviors across endpoints, store networks, online storefronts and payments systems. Cynet automatically isolates compromised users and endpoints with CyAI and its 24x7 CyOps MDR team.[9][10][13]

Cynet is purpose-built for MSPs and channel partners scaling security across many customers. Cynet helps organizations meet and maintain compliance with standards including SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, NIST CSF, HIPAA, PCI DSS, DFARS, CMMC, NIS2, TX-RAMP Level 2 and DORA. Cynet offers built-in reporting and audit trails supporting HIPAA, PCI DSS, NIST, FISMA, FERPA, SOC 2 and more.[2][3][4][6][9][10][11][12]

Cynet on the record

Sources

Cynet full record

  1. [1]cynet.comCynet · cynet.com · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Cynet Innovations | Latest Cybersecurity AdvancementsCynet · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Unified Platform: We Manage Attack Paths with AICynet · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Cynet Solutions | AI-Driven Protection & Automated ResponseCynet · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Under attack? Cynet can helpCynet · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Cynet Unified, AI-Powered Security Platform for MSPs & SMEsCynet · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Endpoint Security: Cynet Advanced Endpoint Protection SolutionsCynet · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Cynet Network Security | Unified, AI-Powered Threat DetectionCynet · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Cynet for Retail | Unified Cybersecurity & Ransomware ProtectionCynet · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Cybersecurity Solutions by IndustryCynet · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Cynet for Government | Cybersecurity & Ransomware ProtectionCynet · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Cynet for Financial Services | Security & Fraud ProtectionCynet · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Cynet for Education | Cybersecurity & Ransomware ProtectionCynet · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Cynet v5.0 Brings Data Residency to CanadaCynet · published September 25, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Cynet Launches New Capabilities for CyAI Engine ThatGlobeNewswire · published April 28, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Cynet Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & FeaturesG2 · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier C

KnowBe4 full record

  1. [1]About usKnowBe4 · knowbe4.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Vista equity partners completes acquisition of knowbe4KnowBe4 · knowbe4.com · published February 1, 2023 · Tier A
  3. [3]Contact usKnowBe4 · knowbe4.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]KnowBe4 | Secure Your Digital Workforce: Human + AIKnowBe4 · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]KnowBe4 Student Edition | KnowBe4KnowBe4 · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Warning: Attackers Are Using Calendar Invite Files to Evade Security FiltersKnowBe4 · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]KnowBe4 Launches AI-Native Attack Simulation & Training Product and Twelfth AI AgentBusiness Wire · published May 5, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training Reviews 2026 - G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier C
  9. [9]KnowBe4 Reviews, Ratings & Features 2026 | Gartner Peer InsightsGartner Peer Insights · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier C
  10. [10]Cloud Email Security for Microsoft 365 | KnowBe4KnowBe4 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Pricing | DefendKnowBe4 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Pricing | Prevent | KnowBe4KnowBe4 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Compliance Plus: Compliance Training Platform | KnowBe4KnowBe4 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]BreachSim | KnowBe4KnowBe4 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Weak Password Test | KnowBe4KnowBe4 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Security Culture Report Analysis Center | KnowBe4KnowBe4 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]KnowBe4 Customer Success | KnowBe4KnowBe4 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  18. [18]Dashlane Launches First-of-its-Kind Integration with KnowBe4 to Transform Security Awareness into Proactive DefensePR Newswire · published April 6, 2026 · Tier A

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