First annual recognition program celebrates companies making the biggest impact on their communities, their industries, the environment, or society as a whole
KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, today announced it has been named to Inc.’s inaugural Best in Business list in the security category. Inc. created the Best in Business Awards to honor companies that have gone above and beyond to make a positive difference.
The list, which can be found in the Winter issue of Inc. (on newsstands December 29, 2020), recognizes small- and medium-size privately held American businesses that have had a superlative impact on their communities, their industries, the environment, or society as a whole.
“With the pandemic forcing much of the world’s workforce to shift to a work from home model, the bad guys have really bolstered their efforts,” said Stu Sjouwerman, CEO, KnowBe4. “KnowBe4 continues to actively work to better protect organizations from cyber attacks by training employees to be the last line of defense. Winning gold from Inc. for their Best in Business list for making a positive difference shows that despite these challenges, we continue to succeed in the security industry.”
Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc., says, "It's been an incredibly challenging year for companies. Across industries, businesses have had to make brutally tough decisions and face unprecedented uncertainty. That's why we knew 2020 called for a new recognition program, something to complement our annual Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the country. For Best in Business, companies have prioritized tackling today’s problems to lead us to a better future, even if they’ve struggled to stay in the black."
Instead of relying on quantitative criteria linked to sales or funding, Inc.'s editors reviewed the companies' achievements over the past year and noted how they made a positive difference in the world. They then selected honorees in more than 30 different industries--health, software, retail, business services, and more--and in age- and revenue-based categories. The applicant pool was very competitive, with around 2,700 entries and an acceptance rate in the low single digits—a huge success for these honors in their inaugural year.
Honorees for gold, silver, bronze, and general excellence across industries and categories are featured online at inc.com/best-in-business.
ABOUT INC. MEDIA
The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across various channels, including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the Inc. 5000 allows these founders a chance to engage with their peers' in an exclusive community with the credibility to help drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
About KnowBe4
KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, is used by more than 35,000 organizations around the globe. Founded by IT and data security specialist Stu Sjouwerman, KnowBe4 helps organizations address the human element of security by raising awareness about ransomware, CEO fraud and other social engineering tactics through a new-school approach to awareness training on security. Kevin Mitnick, an internationally recognized cybersecurity specialist and KnowBe4's Chief Hacking Officer, helped design the KnowBe4 training based on his well-documented social engineering tactics. Tens of thousands of organizations rely on KnowBe4 to mobilize their end users as the last line of defense.
