Phishing simulation software: AI search visibility ranking (2026)
How AI search engines rank phishing simulation software by visibility and citations. 20 brands measured monthly across Google AI Mode: which brands the AI names in answers, which domains it cites as sources, and how the leaders compare. Phishing simulation platforms used to train employees, run realistic attack drills, and reduce human risk across email-driven security programs. Composite score: 70% visibility (% of AI answers naming the brand) + 30% citation rate (% citing the brand's domain). Full methodology →
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When buyers inquire about phishing simulation software, AI engines often recommend KnowBe4 as the leader. With a visibility rate of 50%, KnowBe4 stands out in the field. Other notable mentions include Proofpoint and Hoxhunt, which also frequently appear in AI-generated lists for top security options.
The rankings are influenced by sources prominently cited by AI engines, such as adaptivesecurity.com and knowbe4.com. These domains, often review sites or brand pages, provide aggregated insights and reviews that shape AI recommendations, reflecting perceived authority and reliability in phishing simulation tools.
For buyers reviewing this page, consider the emphasis AI engines place on recent reviews and third-party validations. Choosing from the listed brands involves selecting one with strong topical authority and up-to-date endorsements, ensuring the software meets current security challenges effectively.
At a glance
What we observed in this category
KnowBe4 leads the phishing simulation software category with a composite score of 57.5, visibility of 50.0% and citation of 75.0%, placing it far above the category averages of 7.5% and 17.5% respectively. The gap to second-placed Proofpoint (composite 30.0) is substantial, and every brand below rank two sits under 25.0 composite points. This concentration means one brand is capturing a disproportionate share of AI-generated answers, leaving the remaining 19 brands competing for limited residual exposure.
A clear divergence exists between being named in AI responses and being trusted enough to cite. Proofpoint has 37.5% visibility but only 12.5% citation, suggesting it appears in AI narratives without its domain being anchored as a source. Conversely, Living Security has 0.0% visibility yet 75.0% citation, and Hoxhunt has 12.5% visibility with 50.0% citation. These patterns indicate that AI Mode treats some domains as credible reference sources even when it does not prominently name those brands in its generated answers.
All ten ranked brands share Google AI Mode as their top engine, confirming the audit data reflects a single-engine landscape with no Bing or Perplexity diversification visible in these results. The top cited sources include third-party domains such as adaptivesecurity.com, g2.com, symbolsecurity.com, and cloudsek.com alongside brand-owned domains like knowbe4.com, hoxhunt.com, and livingsecurity.com. This mix implies Google AI Mode is anchoring its phishing simulation answers on a blend of review platforms, security blogs, and a small set of vendor sites.
Movers & shakers since last refresh
Biggest visibility risers
-
Proofpoint 0% → 38% · rank #6 → #2+38pp
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Cofense 0% → 25% · rank #7 → #6+25pp
-
Ironscales 0% → 12% · rank #4 → #7+12pp
Biggest visibility fallers
-
Hoxhunt 25% → 12% · rank #2 → #3-12pp
The ranking
| # | Brand | Visibility | Citation | Top engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
knowbe4.com
|
50% | 75% | Google AI Mode |
KnowBe4 leads with 50.0% visibility and 75.0% citation, both metrics well above the category averages of 7.5% and 17.5%, and its domain appears directly in the top cited sources list. |
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| 2 |
proofpoint.com
|
38% | 12% | Google AI Mode |
Proofpoint rose from rank 6 to rank 2 with a 37.5-point visibility gain, yet its citation rate of 12.5% sits below the category average, signalling a named-but-not-trusted dynamic. |
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| 3 |
hoxhunt.com
|
12% | 50% | Google AI Mode |
Hoxhunt dropped from rank 2 to rank 3 as visibility fell 12.5 points to 12.5%, while citation climbed 37.5 points, making its citation rate (50.0%) the second highest in the dataset. |
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| 4 |
livingsecurity.com
|
0% | 75% | Google AI Mode |
Living Security holds rank 4 with 0.0% visibility yet 75.0% citation, matching KnowBe4 on citation rate while being entirely absent from named AI responses in the audit period. |
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| 5 |
wizer-training.com
|
12% | 38% | Google AI Mode |
Wizer sits at rank 5 with 12.5% visibility and 37.5% citation, both above the category averages, and its citation rate outpaces Proofpoint despite holding a lower rank by composite score. |
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| 6 |
cofense.com
|
25% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 7 |
ironscales.com
|
12% | 25% | Google AI Mode |
| 8 |
usecure.io
|
0% | 38% | Google AI Mode |
| 9 |
sosafe-awareness.com
|
0% | 25% | Google AI Mode |
| 10 |
mimecast.com
|
0% | 12% | Google AI Mode |
| 11 |
hooksecurity.co
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 12 |
safetitan.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 13 |
phished.io
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 14 |
microsoft.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 15 |
cyberhoot.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 16 |
metacompliance.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 17 |
keepnetlabs.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 18 |
infosecinstitute.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 19 |
barracuda.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 20 |
fortra.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
Sources AI engines trust in this category
Across the 8 buyer-intent queries we ran on phishing simulation software, these are the domains Google AI Mode cited most often. If you're not on this list — or if your competitors are — that's a concrete PR / linkbuilding target.
How to read this ranking
Four things worth knowing before you act on the numbers above. These are the same definitions across every industry page — for category-specific observations, see the What we observed section above (where available) and the per-brand insights inline in the ranking.
Visibility = being named
A brand's visibility % is the share of AI answers that mention it by name in the response prose. This is who AI engines actively recommend to the buyer. More on visibility →
Citation rate = being trusted
Citation rate is the share of AI answers that include the brand's domain as a clickable source link. This is what the AI treats as authoritative evidence, different from being named. More on citation rate →
Top engine differs by brand
The "top engine" column shows which AI surface each brand performs best on. Big gaps between a brand's score across engines usually points to specific content or schema gaps. How AI engines pick sources →
Rankings move month to month
AI engines re-crawl and re-rank on shorter cycles than classical search. We re-audit every brand on this list at least every 30 days and refresh this page automatically. How AI search ranking works →
Get your own phishing simulation software brand audited
The brands above were curated from public market-leader lists. Want the same measurement against your own brand — including the queries you appear on, which competitors get named instead, and a prioritised fix list? Run a free preview.
Frequently asked about phishing simulation software AI visibility
Who leads AI visibility in phishing simulation software?
KnowBe4 leads with a composite score of 57.5, visibility of 50.0% and citation of 75.0%, all materially higher than any other brand in the dataset.
What is the gap between the top brand and the category average?
KnowBe4 visibility of 50.0% compares to a category average of 7.5%, a gap of 42.5 percentage points, indicating a heavily concentrated AI presence at the top.
Which brand has the biggest mismatch between visibility and citation?
Living Security has 0.0% visibility but 75.0% citation, the starkest divergence in the dataset, meaning AI Mode cites its domain as a source without naming it in answers.
What sources does Google AI Mode cite most for phishing simulation research?
The top cited sources include adaptivesecurity.com, knowbe4.com, symbolsecurity.com, hoxhunt.com, livingsecurity.com, and the review platform g2.com, combining vendor and third-party domains.
Which brand made the biggest visibility gain in the most recent period?
Proofpoint gained 37.5 visibility points, rising from 0.0% to 37.5% and moving from rank 6 to rank 2, the largest single-period visibility increase in the audit data.
Does any brand in this category perform strongly on an engine other than Google AI Mode?
No. Every brand in the top 10 shares Google AI Mode as its top engine, suggesting the audit data reflects no meaningful AI visibility for this category outside that single engine.