KnowBe4 launches free cyber awareness kit for 2026

KnowBe4 has released a free resource kit for Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2026, aimed at organisations preparing staff education campaigns for October.

The kit uses a "Secret Agent" theme to help employers run internal awareness programmes on cyber risks facing staff. It is the eighth annual edition of KnowBe4's Cybersecurity Awareness Month materials.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is observed each October and is led internationally by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the National Cybersecurity Alliance. Organisations often use the period to run training and internal communications on cyber hygiene, phishing, and reporting procedures.

KnowBe4's latest kit is organised around four weekly themes: phishing and social engineering, AI safety and deepfakes, data security and passwords, and incident reporting. The campaign casts employees as members of a fictional Workforce Risk Division.

The material includes four character posters, additional signage assets in multiple languages, tabletop exercise documents, training videos, interactive modules, and planning guides. It also contains a strategy dossier, a weekly planner, a mission brief tied to one of the company's free tools, and access to two on-demand webinars and white papers.

The release comes as businesses face a growing volume of cyber attacks that use artificial intelligence to make scams appear more credible. Security teams have increasingly focused on employee behaviour as criminals use phishing emails, impersonation attempts, and manipulated audio or video to bypass technical controls.

Erich Kron, Chief Information Security Officer Advisor at KnowBe4, said the aim was to provide fresh material for organisations that already run awareness programmes.

"Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an opportunity for the security community to present engaging, new content to their users and drive home the importance of staying secure, even if they have existing security awareness training," Kron said.

He also pointed to AI's role in changing the threat landscape.

"With cybercriminals adopting AI-driven tactics such as deepfakes and advanced social engineering, threats are continuously evolving and organisations need fresh, engaging ways to keep users vigilant. This year's kit turns security awareness into an interactive mission, empowering employees to see themselves as active defenders," Kron said.

Wider push

The National Cybersecurity Alliance framed the annual campaign as an effort to move cyber awareness beyond technology teams. That reflects a broader shift in corporate security practice, as firms try to make reporting suspicious messages and following data-handling rules part of everyday work.

"Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a reminder that cybersecurity is more than an IT issue," said Lisa Plaggemier, Executive Director at the National Cybersecurity Alliance.

"Cybersecurity skills are life skills. Every person, family, and organisation has a role to play in creating a safer digital world. We're grateful to partners like KnowBe4 who help expand the reach of this important work and make it possible to equip more people with practical guidance," Plaggemier said.

KnowBe4 said the resource kit is free and available to all organisations, not only existing customers. By releasing the materials ahead of October, the company aims to give internal communications teams, information security leaders, and training managers time to schedule activities and adapt the content for their workplaces.

The group says it serves more than 70,000 organisations worldwide. Its business centres on security awareness training, simulated attacks, and related tools intended to reduce risks linked to human behaviour.

KnowBe4 also included customer feedback in its announcement to show how some organisations use the annual campaign materials as staff return to shared workplaces and office noticeboards become relevant again.

"I'm very excited for this! I'm sure our users will love this theme and since we're finally starting to come back into the office, I am going to start putting up posters again. Looking forward to these!" said Janelle Maurer, Senior Cyber Security Specialist at the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.