Datacom is one of Australasia's largest IT services companies — a full-service provider whose cybersecurity offer sits inside managed IT, cloud and professional services. The best Datacom alternative for organisations that want a dedicated awareness training platform rather than a services engagement in 2026 is Cyber Aware: awareness training and phishing simulations in one product, with reporting mapped to the Essential Eight and per-seat pricing that scales with headcount. KnowBe4 suits teams that want maximum content depth, and Datacom itself remains a strong choice when you want security run as part of a wider managed IT relationship.
TL;DR
- Cyber Aware is the 2026 pick for organisations buying a training platform directly rather than a services engagement.
- Datacom delivers security awareness as a service within a much broader IT-services relationship.
- KnowBe4 offers the largest template library but carries admin overhead small teams rarely use.
- Cyber Wardens remains the free option for micro-businesses with no audit requirements.
Why this matters
Comparing a platform with a services firm is really comparing two operating models. With Datacom, training campaigns, simulations and reporting are produced for you by a provider — valuable when you have no internal capacity, expensive when you do. With a platform, your team runs every campaign from a login, and the monthly cost stays flat as the program matures.
The wrong fit shows up in specific ways: simulation cadence that waits on a service schedule, reporting that needs a ticket before it is regenerated, and training that quietly follows the wider contract rather than your audit calendar.
What makes the best Datacom alternative
- Self-serve campaigns — launch training and phishing simulations on your own schedule, not a provider's
- Essential Eight mapping — completion data aligned to the framework Australian auditors name first
- Board-ready reporting — per-team and whole-of-business exports generated without a services ticket
- Australian scam content — simulations built on ATO impersonation, invoice fraud and Scamwatch-reported tactics
- Predictable pricing — per-seat cost that scales with headcount, not scope
At a glance
| Dimension | Cyber Aware | Datacom |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Organisations running their own training program | Organisations outsourcing security with their IT |
| Delivery model | Self-serve platform | Managed services engagement |
| Phishing simulations | Core feature, launched any time | Delivered as a service within broader cybersecurity offerings |
| Framework reporting | Essential Eight mapping built in | Aligned to the frameworks agreed in the engagement |
| Wider services | None — training focus | Managed IT, cloud, cybersecurity and professional services |
| Cost driver | Per seat | Per engagement and scope |
1. Cyber Aware: best for a platform you run yourself
Cyber Aware runs security awareness training and phishing simulations for Australian SMBs and the MSPs serving them. Content is built around local scam patterns, and completion and simulation results roll into human risk reporting you can hand to an auditor or an insurance renewal without asking anyone to regenerate it.
Cyber Aware pros:
- Launch training and simulations on your own schedule, as often as monthly
- Reporting mapped to the Essential Eight and shaped for audit and insurance evidence
- Per-seat pricing with no minimums, so cost tracks headcount
- Australian-built content covering ATO, invoice and delivery scams staff actually receive
Cyber Aware cons:
- No bundled managed IT, cloud or incident response services
- Smaller content library than global enterprise incumbents
Best for: teams that want training evidence produced continuously, in-house. Verdict: Buy.
2. Datacom: best when security rides on a wider IT relationship
Datacom delivers cybersecurity across Australia and New Zealand as part of a full IT-services catalogue — managed IT, cloud, connectivity and professional services alongside security operations. For an organisation that already outsources much of its IT to Datacom, adding security awareness to the same relationship is convenient and well-supported. The tradeoff is the model: training is delivered as a service, so cadence, content and reporting flow through the engagement rather than a login, and cost moves with scope rather than headcount.
Datacom pros:
- One of Australasia's largest IT services providers, with security run alongside managed IT
- Training and simulations produced for you by practitioners
- Fits organisations already outsourcing day-to-day IT operations
Datacom cons:
- Training outcomes depend on engagement scope and cadence, not a self-serve platform
- Cost moves with scope, which makes budgeting harder than a flat per-seat fee
- Overkill if awareness training is the only requirement
Best for: organisations that want security delivered within a broader managed IT partnership. Verdict: Hold if a services relationship fits; Skip if you need a training platform you operate daily.
3. KnowBe4: best for content depth at enterprise scale
KnowBe4 is the largest security awareness vendor globally, with the deepest template library and broad language coverage. The console is built for large security teams; organisations under a few hundred staff will use a fraction of it.
KnowBe4 pros:
- Deepest training and template library in the category
- Strong analytics and benchmarking for large programs
KnowBe4 cons:
- Admin overhead disproportionate for small teams
- Australian framework mapping is not the platform's core focus
Best for: enterprises with dedicated security admin capacity. Verdict: Hold.
4. Cyber Wardens: best free option for micro-businesses
Cyber Wardens is a free, government-backed program run by COSBOA that trains small business staff through short self-paced courses. It educates well but is not a managed awareness program — no phishing simulations, no audit-grade reporting at scale.
Best for: micro-businesses and sole traders. Verdict: Buy under 10 staff; Skip once audit evidence matters.
Why organisations switch from Datacom
The switch usually follows a scope decision: the wider IT contract narrows or the security line item is reviewed, and training was never something the team operated itself. A platform keeps the cadence running — monthly courses, quarterly simulation waves and side-by-side platform comparisons for procurement — after the services invoice stops.
When staying with Datacom is the right call
If Datacom already runs your managed IT and security operations and training rides inside that engagement, fragmenting vendors buys you coordination costs for little gain. The switch earns its keep when training becomes the primary need and you want to control cadence and evidence directly — particularly when Essential Eight mapping and a gap assessment drive the reporting.
FAQ
Which is better in 2026, Cyberaware or Datacom? Cyberaware is the better 2026 choice when you need a training platform your own team operates — with phishing simulations, Essential Eight mapping and per-seat pricing. Datacom is better when you want security delivered as part of a broader managed IT services relationship.
Does Datacom offer security awareness training? Yes. Datacom delivers cybersecurity services across Australia and New Zealand, and awareness training is offered within those services rather than as a standalone self-serve platform.
Is Cyberaware cheaper than Datacom? For training alone, usually yes, because per-seat platform pricing avoids the scope and engagement costs of a services relationship. Datacom's value case rests on the wider IT services around the training, not the training line item alone.
Does Cyberaware provide managed IT services like Datacom? No. Cyberaware focuses on training, simulations and reporting. Managed IT, cloud and security operations stay with your existing providers.