Nearly every breach in recent years traces back to someone clicking something they shouldn't have. The difference between awareness training that gets clicked through and content that actually changes behavior is real — and the difference between phishing simulators that catch the gullible and ones that test sophisticated attacks matters more than vendors admit. Below is how to source the right human-layer program for your organization.
| Awareness Training SpecialistStickley on Security | Adjacent: Data AwarenessCyrisma | Adjacent: Compliance EvidenceDrata | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What problem | Train employees and customers to resist social engineering; simulate phishing | Discover sensitive data exposure that training alone won't fix | Track training completion as compliance evidence across frameworks |
| Best-fit buyer | SMB / Mid-Market CISO; FFIEC-regulated org wanting turnkey program | Mid-market with data-layer compliance pressure | Org tracking training completion for SOC 2 / ISO / HIPAA evidence |
| Differentiator | Founded 2007 by Jim Stickley (industry voice); 150,000+ users protected; FFIEC-aligned | Data discovery + risk remediation, not just training metrics | 200+ system integrations capture training records into framework evidence |
| What it doesn't do | Doesn't fix technical exposure or compliance program structure | Doesn't train people — fixes what training can't reach | Doesn't deliver training itself — captures evidence of training done elsewhere |
| How they pair | The human-layer wedge — pair with technical and compliance suppliers | Discovers what Stickley training can't fix (data sprawl, exposure) | Receives Stickley completion records as compliance evidence |
Most security awareness programs fail not because the content is wrong but because the delivery model is wrong. Long quarterly courses that employees skip through. Phishing simulators that catch the obvious clicks but miss sophisticated spear-phishing scenarios. Reporting that satisfies the auditor but doesn't drive behavior change. Stickley on Security's differentiator is operational: Powered Cybersecurity Training runs the program for you (quarterly campaigns, monthly phishing, automatic reporting), so the bottleneck shifts from "we don't have time to manage training" to "the program is actually running." For FFIEC-regulated organizations, the alignment to mandated awareness requirements is the additional wedge.
Brief Stickley if you need a turnkey awareness program your IT team isn't going to manage day-to-day — especially if you're SMB or FFIEC-regulated.
Supplier page →Brief Cyrisma alongside Stickley if your compliance pressure is data-driven and training alone doesn't address the data sprawl problem underneath.
Supplier page →Brief Drata alongside Stickley if you need training completion records flowing automatically into your SOC 2 / ISO / HIPAA compliance evidence.
Supplier page →