Microsoft Attack Simulation Training alternative
A Microsoft Attack Simulation Training alternative for GRC and security teams
Built for GRC teams. SecurityRing runs continuous, contextual simulations of the attacks hitting your peer industry, teaches people the moment they slip, and turns results into audit-ready PPT and PDF reports, with no Microsoft licence tier required.
After a one-time setup, your team can launch each campaign in minutes, without a security engineer.
A fair, sourced comparison, checked on 16 October 2026. Every Microsoft Attack Simulation Training fact comes from Microsoft Attack Simulation Training’s own public pages.
RecommendationsYour next 3 simulations.
Teams training with SecurityRing
The case
Why the old annual model falls short
The traditional approach, one annual course and a templated phishing test, can tick a box, but on its own it leaves people unprepared for a convincing, AI-made request on an ordinary Tuesday. Preparation has to be continuous, contextual and delivered in the moment.
Microsoft’s documentation describes recurring simulation automations and training campaigns, so this is not a description of Attack simulation training. Compare how each platform works in the table below.
AI inside the attack chain
CrowdStrike’s 2026 Threat Hunting Report describes AI as embedded across modern adversary operations.
Attacks follow your industry
Lures change with the news, your sector and your tools, so last year’s template is rarely this month’s attack.
More channels
Attacks arrive by video, chat apps, LinkedIn and phone, not only the inbox.
Why SecurityRing
Five reasons teams choose SecurityRing
Run by your GRC team, without a security engineer
A campaign is four steps: choose people, pick a recommended attack, approve what the AI Builder drafted, and schedule. After a one-time setup (your email admin allowlists SecurityRing once), your team can launch it in minutes, without a security engineer.
What that means for youYour compliance or security team can run campaigns without waiting on engineering time.
Recommendations shaped to your company and current attacks
Recommendations refresh from your organisation profile (industry, country, regulators), your tools, company and industry news, public advisories such as CERT-In and CISA, and anonymised, aggregated patterns from other SecurityRing customers’ campaigns in the last 90 days, with click rates.
What that means for youYour people practise attacks relevant to your industry and tools, not a generic template.
In-the-moment training on the exact attack
Anyone who clicks lands on a training page straight away: a video of the email they received with its red flags highlighted, then a quick quiz. It is designed to take under two minutes.
What that means for youThe lesson lands while the mistake is fresh, and admins can send reminders to anyone who hasn’t finished.
Simulations across the channels where attacks happen
Email and deepfake video of your own leaders inside email are live, WhatsApp is in private beta, and LinkedIn and voice calls are coming soon.
- EmailLive
- Deepfake video in emailLive
- WhatsAppPrivate beta
- LinkedInComing soon
- Voice callsComing soon
What that means for youPractise deepfake video today, and WhatsApp in private beta, not only the classic inbox phish.
Audit-ready evidence for the frameworks you answer to
Campaign reports, per-person completion records, an executive trend report with a phishing exposure score and a dated audit trail, as PPT or PDF. They support evidence for the awareness-training parts of SEBI CSCRF, RBI directions, HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001 and PCI DSS, and for the people-safeguards side of DPDP, which doesn’t name training.
See what each framework asks for. Your auditor or regulator decides what is sufficient.
What that means for youReports you can export for audit prep and board updates, showing results over time rather than a checkbox.
SecurityRing vs Microsoft Attack Simulation Training · checked 16 October 2026
Compared on what you’re prioritising
Microsoft Attack Simulation Training facts are taken from its public website and may vary by plan. Where Microsoft Attack Simulation Training is ahead today, we say so below.
| What you need | SecurityRing | Microsoft Attack Simulation Training (from its public site) |
|---|---|---|
| Simulation channels | Email phishing, including QR-code and ClickFix (fake verification) attacks, and deepfake video of your own leaders inside email are live. WhatsApp is in private beta (not generally available). LinkedIn, voice-call and SMS simulations are coming soon. | Its documentation describes simulated phishing messages carrying a link, an attachment or a QR code, across seven social engineering techniques: Credential Harvest, Malware Attachment, Link in Attachment, Link to Malware, Drive-by URL, OAuth Consent Grant and How-to Guide. |
| Scenarios relevant to you | Recommended from your industry, tools, company and industry news, public advisories, and anonymised patterns from other SecurityRing customers’ recent campaigns in your peer industry. | Its documentation describes built-in and custom payloads, payload automations that turn harmless versions of real phishing detected in Microsoft 365 into simulations, and a predicted compromise rate for each payload. |
| Learning at the moment of a mistake | A training page right after the click: a video of that exact email with its red flags, plus a quiz, designed to take under two minutes. | Its documentation describes training assigned on the basis of what users do with the simulated message, and training campaigns that assign modules without a simulation. Its FAQ lists 94 built-in trainings and says training is delivered in partnership with Terranova Security. |
| Effort to run the programme | After a one-time setup, a GRC team launches a campaign in minutes, without a security engineer: choose people, pick a recommendation, approve the AI Builder draft, schedule. | Its documentation describes running simulations and simulation automations with scheduling options in the Microsoft Defender portal, by people holding roles such as Attack Simulation Administrator. |
| Audit and board evidence | Campaign and executive trend reports, per-person completion records and a dated audit trail, exported as PPT, PDF or CSV: audit-ready evidence for the awareness-training parts of SEBI CSCRF, RBI, HIPAA, SOC 2 and ISO 27001 reviews. | Its documentation describes training efficacy, user coverage, training completion and repeat offenders reports, with an Export report button that saves to CSV. |
| Licensing and pricing | Quote-based. Contact sales for a free pilot. | Its documentation states that Attack simulation training is available to organisations with a Microsoft 365 E5 or Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 licence. E3 customers get a trial subset: the Credential Harvest payload and two training experiences. |
Fit
Who SecurityRing is best for
- GRC and security teams that want to run a continuous programme themselves, without a security engineer
- Regulated teams that need audit-ready awareness-training evidence for SEBI CSCRF, RBI, HIPAA, DPDP, SOC 2 or ISO 27001 reviews
- Finance, HR and leadership teams that are targets for impersonation and deepfake requests
- CISOs who want click and repeat-exposure results over time, not just course completion
What is a good alternative to Microsoft Attack Simulation Training?
If you want a GRC team to launch continuous simulations of attacks seen in your peer industry in minutes, deepfake video of your own leaders inside email, a lesson on the exact email right after a click, and audit-ready PPT or PDF reports, SecurityRing is worth shortlisting. If you already hold E5 or Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 and want everything inside the Defender portal, Microsoft’s tool may fit better.
Which licence does Microsoft Attack Simulation Training need?
Microsoft’s documentation states that organisations use Attack simulation training with a Microsoft 365 E5 or Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 licence, and that E3 customers get a trial subset (the Credential Harvest payload and two training experiences). Check Microsoft’s licensing terms for your agreement.
Do we need a Microsoft licence to use SecurityRing?
No. SecurityRing is sold separately, with quote-based pricing. During the one-time setup your IT team allowlists SecurityRing’s sender domains so simulations reach inboxes.
Can we pilot SecurityRing while still using Microsoft Attack Simulation Training?
Yes. Run a free SecurityRing pilot with one or two teams, such as Finance and Customer Support, while your current programme continues. Then compare lesson completion, click exposure and how quickly people report, and keep your existing training records for audit history.
Which channels can SecurityRing simulate today?
Email phishing, including QR-code and ClickFix attacks, and deepfake video of your consenting leaders inside email simulations are live. WhatsApp phishing simulation is in private beta and not generally available. LinkedIn, voice-call (vishing) and SMS (smishing) simulations are coming soon and are not available yet.
Sources and method
Method. Microsoft Attack Simulation Training facts on this page were checked on 16 October 2026 against Microsoft Attack Simulation Training’s own public pages below. We compare only what both vendors publish, date-stamp the comparison and state SecurityRing channel status as it is today.
- Microsoft Learn: Get started using Attack simulation training (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Reports for Attack simulation training (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Training modules for Training campaigns (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Attack simulation training deployment considerations and FAQ (accessed 16 October 2026)
Microsoft Attack Simulation Training and its product names are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. This is SecurityRing’s own comparison and isn’t endorsed by Microsoft Attack Simulation Training. Spotted something out of date? Email neha@securityring.ai and we’ll correct it.
See SecurityRing next to your current programme
We’ll show the attacks SecurityRing would recommend for your industry. Contact sales for a free pilot.