KnowBe4 enhances HRM+ to boost AI & human cyber defences

KnowBe4 has announced enhancements to its HRM+ platform focused on training both employees and AI agents to counter contemporary cybersecurity threats.

According to data referenced by the company, Gartner predicts that by 2026, 40% of enterprise applications will incorporate task-specific AI agents, a significant rise from the current rate of less than 5%. The expansion of AI integration is introducing new targets for cybercriminals, including theft, manipulation, and misuse of AI agents, which underscores the increasing necessity for personnel to possess AI literacy alongside traditional cybersecurity awareness.

The importance of addressing the human element in cybersecurity is supported by multiple industry reports. Human factors, including susceptibility to social engineering, have contributed to over 60% of data breaches in recent years, as highlighted by the 2025 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report. In light of these findings, KnowBe4 is emphasising that effective cybersecurity strategies must now evolve to cover both human actors and their interactions with AI agents in organisational environments.

Defending human-AI interaction

"We are delivering adaptive, personalised, AI-driven defences today to safeguard the next generation global workforce. We do both, guard humans against AI-driven attacks and shield AI systems from exploitation. KnowBe4 is uniquely positioned to protect enterprise AI agents by securing the essential human-agent interaction layer. As AI becomes both a powerful tool and a potential target, safeguarding this interaction point is crucial," said Bryan Palma, CEO, KnowBe4. 

With cyber threats advancing in sophistication through the use of AI, KnowBe4 is advocating for an approach that extends beyond traditional perimeter defences. While many existing solutions still focus primarily on gateway protection, the HRM+ platform is positioned to deliver what KnowBe4 describes as 'defence-in-depth', seeking to secure every layer of potential vulnerability, including the dynamic between users and AI agents.

HRM+ is informed by 15 years of user behaviour analysis and threat intelligence data, and attempts to safeguard areas ranging from user environments and productivity tools to AI systems themselves. This layered defence model aims to build resilience and address the unique risks posed by integrated AI technologies.

New features and training methods

Among the key capabilities highlighted for the HRM+ platform are:

• Agent-Safe Behaviour Training, which aims to enable employees to identify and manage risks while interacting with AI agents, much as they have learned to respond to suspicious links or phishing emails in the past;
• Prompt Injection & Manipulation Defence, simulating attacks to train employees on detecting adversarial inputs designed to compromise enterprise AI systems;
• Risk Scoring for Agent Interactions, offering an extension of KnowBe4's existing Risk Score to measure how vulnerable both employees and AI agents are to misuse, providing organisations with a more comprehensive assessment of their risk exposure.

These developments reflect the shifting focus in cybersecurity training towards a broader scope that recognises the interplay between human and machine in digital workspaces.

Customer perspectives

Customer sentiment presented by KnowBe4 highlights the perceived necessity of this dual focus. A KnowBe4 customer commented, "Threats change and adapt far too often. KnowBe4 knows this and adapts their training to meet the current threats. AI Defence Agents in particular help quickly adapt to the evolving threat landscape."

The HRM+ platform is marketed as including a range of modules such as awareness and compliance training, cloud email security, real-time coaching, and crowdsourced anti-phishing tools, alongside the new AI Defence Agent functionalities. KnowBe4's approach combines content and tools to support staff and digital agents in recognising, resisting, and reporting cyber threats in real time.

Industry context

The company's focus on both human and AI risk management comes at a time when organisations are rapidly deploying AI for productivity and operational gains. However, security experts and analysts are increasingly warning that this adoption introduces complex, novel vulnerabilities, both technical and behavioural, that demand new kinds of training and adaptive defence methods.

KnowBe4's recent platform updates form part of a broader response by security vendors to these emerging challenges, aiming to ensure that both people and AI agents are equipped with the awareness and tools needed to operate securely in an evolving threat landscape.