Cythera is a Melbourne-headquartered Australian MSSP that runs a 24/7 Security Operations Centre, and employee cyber training sits inside a catalogue that spans monitoring, detection and incident response. Choose Cyber Aware in 2026 if you want a dedicated awareness training platform your own team operates, with phishing simulations and Essential Eight reporting at per-seat pricing. Choose Cythera if you want training delivered inside a broader managed-security relationship with response and advisory attached.
TL;DR
- Cyber Aware wins for organisations that want a self-serve training platform they run in-house.
- Cythera wins when training is one line item in a wider MSSP engagement with a 24/7 SOC.
- Cythera was acquired by Bastion Security Group in 2024, strengthening its mid-market and enterprise reach.
- Neither publishes list prices: Cyber Aware charges per seat, Cythera sells service engagements.
Why this matters
The two companies look similar from the outside — both Australian, both sell security, both mention training on their websites. The difference shows up after you sign. With an MSSP, training is administered for you on an engagement schedule. With a platform, your team launches every campaign and owns the evidence.
The Australian Cyber Security Centre's Annual Cyber Threat Report 2024-25 puts the average self-reported cost of cybercrime at $56,600 for small business and $97,200 for medium business. Which model serves you better depends less on brand than on whether you have someone internal to run the program.
At a glance
| Dimension | Cyber Aware | Cythera |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Organisations running their own training program | Organisations buying managed security with training included |
| Delivery model | Self-serve platform | Managed service engagement |
| Phishing simulations | Core feature, launched on your schedule | Provided as part of the service |
| Security operations | None — training focus | 24/7 SOC, MDR, DFIR, threat intelligence |
| Framework reporting | Essential Eight mapping built in | Compliance and accreditation support |
| Cost driver | Per seat | Per engagement and scope |
Cyber Aware offers deeper self-serve training (by a lot)
Cyber Aware is a dedicated security awareness training platform built for Australian SMBs and mid-market firms and the MSPs that serve them. You launch phishing simulations when you want, run courses as often as monthly, and completion data rolls into human risk reporting mapped to the Essential Eight — the framework Australian auditors and cyber insurers ask about first.
Cyber Aware pros:
- Training and simulations launched any time, no provider ticket
- Essential Eight-aligned evidence for audit and insurance renewals
- Per-seat pricing so cost tracks headcount
- Australian scam content covering ATO impersonation and invoice fraud
Cyber Aware cons:
- No SOC, MDR or incident response — you bring those separately
- No on-demand advisory arm for architecture or accreditation work
Best for: teams that want training evidence produced continuously, in-house. Verdict: Buy.
Cythera is the better managed-security partner (by a lot)
Cythera operates a 24/7 Security Operations Centre from Melbourne and delivers Managed Detection & Response, Digital Forensics & Incident Response, cyber threat intelligence and security architecture alongside employee training. It was acquired by Bastion Security Group in 2024, which deepened its bench for mid-market and enterprise clients. If your real problem is that nobody is watching your environment, training alone solves little and Cythera solves it properly.
Cythera pros:
- Genuine 24/7 monitoring, detection and response
- Incident response and forensics when something goes wrong
- Security architecture, certification and accreditation support
Cythera cons:
- Training is one service among many, not a dedicated platform
- Engagement-based cost is harder to budget than a per-seat fee
- Overkill if training is your only requirement
Best for: organisations that want a managed partner operating security broadly, training included. Verdict: Buy if you need the SOC; Skip if you need a training platform you operate daily.
Both handle compliance evidence, in different ways
Cyber Aware produces completion and simulation evidence continuously inside the platform, mapped to the Essential Eight. Cythera supports certification and accreditation through its advisory practice. Both work; one is a report you generate yourself on demand, the other is a deliverable from a consultant on a schedule.
Pricing: per seat versus per engagement
Neither company publishes fixed prices. Cyber Aware's model is per seat, so a 40-person business can forecast its annual cost from headcount alone. Cythera sells managed service engagements scoped to your environment — that buys breadth (monitoring plus training plus response) but makes the training line item harder to isolate. Check current pricing with each vendor directly.
Final verdict
Choose Cyberaware if you want your own team running monthly training and simulations, need Essential Eight evidence for an audit or an insurer, and want cost that scales with headcount.
Choose Cythera if you want a managed partner operating your security broadly — monitoring, response, architecture — and training delivered within that relationship.
FAQ
Which is better in 2026, Cyberaware or Cythera? Cyberaware is the better 2026 choice for a self-serve training platform with phishing simulations and Essential Eight reporting. Cythera is better when you want training bundled into a wider managed-security engagement with 24/7 monitoring and incident response.
Does Cythera sell security awareness training? Yes. Cythera offers employee cyber training and awareness as one service within its broader MSSP catalogue, alongside MDR, incident response and threat intelligence.
Is Cyberaware cheaper than Cythera? For training alone, usually — a per-seat platform subscription avoids the engagement costs of a full MSSP relationship. Cythera's pricing covers far more than training.
Does Cyber Aware provide SOC monitoring like Cythera? No. Cyberaware focuses on training, simulations and reporting. Pair it with an MSSP or an internal team for detection and response.