As important as it is, cybersecurity awareness training might not seem like the most exciting thing in the world, but when it involves plots to rival your favourite network crime dramas, expertly crafted cinematography, and characters to root for? Naturally, it all feels a little bit different.
Of course, we’re talking about the long-awaited return of KnowBe4’s network-quality video series The Inside Man. Back for its fifth season, the show, created and produced by Twist & Shout Communications (a KnowBe4 company) is now available to all diamond-level KnowBe4 subscribers.
The Gurus were lucky enough to walk the red carpet alongside the show’s cast and crew last week at the Odeon Luxe Cinema, Leicester Square. A packed-out venue fit for an ambitious and industry-leading series that reunited some of our favourite characters.
What To Expect This Season
Season 5 of The Inside Man has big ambitions that echo, as always, real-world scenarios, genuine real-world threats, and plausible scenarios. If season 4 was a nod to 2021’s Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack, season 5 takes a stab at the more political side of cybercrime.
The season’s antagonist, Cyrus, sums the season – and his intentions – up perfectly: ‘Money? You think this is about money? It’s about power… The power to know how people are going to react before they know themselves, to mould their thoughts, to shape their behaviour… The power to choose who wins an election, wins a war.’
Of course, this echoes similar themes that we see in the news frequently, with cyber influence operations becoming all the more common. In fact, just last year US military and intelligence officials announced that they were stepping up efforts to defend the electoral process from foreign influence.
Whilst the show doesn’t go that far, it does dabble in using cyber influence to show the increasingly complex nature of highly personalised attacks. This season we find Mark, AJ, Fiona, Violent and Maurice approached by the security services to help fight against a remorseless adversary deploying vast resources of hacking powers to gain influence and power. From global corporation acquisition to insider threats within hospitals and healthcare, this is definitely the most eager (and high stakes) series of The Inside Man yet.
Jim Shields, Creative Director of Twist & Shout Communications said: “In this season, we see many of these exciting plotlines finally come home to roost. Storylines for which we’ve spent two or three seasons laying the foundations. It’s powerful stuff, and the production team have excelled themselves as usual in bringing it to life. I’m unbelievably proud to be a part of this series.”
Revolutionising Cyber Awareness Training
For many years, KnowBe4 have been reshaping cybersecurity awareness. Perhaps the most obvious example of this is their willingness to invest in something truly different and, perhaps, revolutionary within its field. It’s clear that The Inside Man is an investment, with stunning sets, large productive value and 12-episode story arc. However, it pays off; the show has real, dedicated fans. In fact, three lucky superfans were invited to the premiere, with one having written a full-blown analysis of it. There’s nothing quite like it!
“Security awareness training doesn’t have to be boring, nor should it,” says Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of KnowBe4. “‘The Inside Man’ is the most utilised training that KnowBe4 offers in the optional training category because it is highly captivating, and the production quality is more like a network-quality series than training.”
What The Inside Man does so captivatingly is foreground the human element of cybercrime, with the adversaries not the stereotypical hooded hackers of yesteryear and our victims harrowingly human and relatable. From social engineering to passwords, to social media and deep fakes, this season of The Inside Man covers a lot of ground. Importantly, it reveals how easy it can be for an outsider to penetrate an organisation’s security controls and network. It’s awareness training that doesn’t feel like awareness training – and it’s not preachy either.
The Verdict
Season 5 of The Inside Man is well worth a watch. Whether or not you typically ‘enjoy’ cybersecurity awareness training, you can’t help but feel drawn to the show. It’s both educational and entertaining, and that’s pretty impressive.
Education and awareness are at the heart of everything KnowBe4 does – and The Inside Man is no different, clearly. The Inside Man forces audiences to face safe (or otherwise) cybersecurity practises in an unusual (and rather fun) way. Ultimately, this passion project, beloved within its community, is something vendors should take notice of.
You can watch the full series on The Inside Man microsite on the KnowBe4 platform if you are a diamond member.