KnowBe4 for Mayflower Theatre

Business and Technical Challenges. With sensitive information stored and passed through the systems at the Mayflower Theatre, getting security right is a top priority for all; and despite having a robust and resilient infrastructure in place, Paul Thompson, IT Manager at Mayflower Theatre, knew that more needed to be done. He said, “we wanted to train and educate users about the various aspects of cybersecurity, from how to structure passwords, to spotting phishing emails.” Many are still unaware of the different cyberattacks that are currently out in the world, so Paul and his team wanted to take a proactive approach to mitigating these threats by raising awareness about common risks like phishing emails and scams involving fraudulent websites. The Resolution. The prime objective for Paul was to build the general cybersecurity awareness of the employees at Mayflower Theatre. While some IT managers may want to review and test various security platforms before deciding on the right fit, Paul took a more direct approach when he came across the KnowBe4 platform, saying, “for the offering and the price, it was sufficiently unique to anything else I had seen in the market.” Results and Benefits. It’s a matter of when, not if, when an organisation will suffer a cyberattack and Paul is more than aware of this fact. However, it’s more about the reduction of risk for him. Whether employees come across real phishing emails or ones manufactured to test their skills, Paul explained how the staff were excited when they did come across one before flagging to the IT department. It’s this sort of reaction KnowBe4 was designed for, to get users motivated about security and for Paul, this is where the ROI has been most evident. Having KnowBe4 is an insurance policy in his eyes, saying, “I can absolutely say that we have received generic as well as targeted phishing emails aimed at people in the organisation and, because of the training, we have avoided an incident to date. Having a wide range of cybersecurity training deployed to the number of users that we have to cover a number of issues has been largely beneficial and very cost efficient.” Future Plans. Currently, Mayflower Theatre has 110 members using the KnowBe4 platform, but the expectation for Paul is to upgrade to the platinum subscription to give all staff members access due to the positive results he’s seen since 2017.