KnowBe4 & Carahsoft partner to boost public sector cyber defences
KnowBe4 and Carahsoft Technology Corp. have formed a strategic partnership to provide AI-driven human risk management solutions for the public sector.
The new arrangement will see Carahsoft act as KnowBe4's Public Sector distributor, making KnowBe4's Human Risk Management offerings available through Carahsoft's reseller network and the NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V contract.
Focus on human risk
The partnership aims to address the persistent issue of human error in cybersecurity - an area often targeted by cyber criminals and nation-state actors. KnowBe4's platform is designed to enhance awareness and reduce threats by focusing on behaviour-based intelligence and integrating various tools for security training and phishing simulation.
Kirsten Esposito, Vice President of Global Channel Partners and Programmes at KnowBe4, highlighted the unique threats facing public sector entities, stating,
"The U.S. Public Sector faces specific challenges to secure their organizations, including budgetary constraints, difficulty competing with the private sector for cybersecurity talent and legacy systems, all while being targeted by nation-state actors and some of the most mature cybercrime groups in the world. KnowBe4 and Carahsoft understand the unique challenges within the Public Sector and with this new partnership, are committed to providing customers with the most effective, efficient methods to build a security-conscious culture and significantly reduce human-related security risks."
Platform capabilities
KnowBe4's Human Risk Management (HRM+) platform brings together security awareness training, phishing simulation, email security and real-time coaching. The platform is FedRAMP authorised, supporting compliance and security requirements for U.S. government agencies. According to the company, nearly 4,000 federal, state and local government offices currently use the solution.
Carahsoft's Vice President of Cybersecurity Solutions, Brian O'Donnell, described how the collaboration will support government cybersecurity defences, explaining,
"This partnership enables Government agencies to safeguard their infrastructure by addressing an often overlooked layer of cyber defense, human decision-making. By reducing risk at the most targeted attack surface, KnowBe4 transforms employees from potential vulnerabilities into critical defenders. Carahsoft and our reseller partners remain dedicated to delivering innovative, efficient and cost-effective solutions that help protect U.S. Government agencies against evolving cyber threats, and KnowBe4's all-in-one Human Risk Management platform strengthens our ability to provide end-to-end cybersecurity products."
Customer perspective
A government customer, Hossam Reziqa, Chief Information Officer for the City of Daytona Beach, commented on the platform's practical value:
"Any fault in our technology or error from our staff could impact thousands of city residents. KnowBe4 is, hands down, one of the best platforms to train users on emerging threats. KnowBe4 became not only a training platform, but also a tool for us to retract emails, identify risks and examine details. It's an integral toolkit for our team to fight cybercrime."
Procurement details
KnowBe4's offerings are now available through Carahsoft's SEWP V contracts NNG15SC03B and NNG15SC27B, with the intention of streamlining public sector access to human risk management solutions. The collaboration is part of ongoing efforts in the cybersecurity sector to focus on the role of users and employees in both preventing and responding to cyber threats.