Cybersmart

What Cybersmart does

Cybersmart is the internal cybersecurity awareness, training, and protection program of Western University in London, Ontario, Canada, operated under Western Technology Services (WTS). It serves the entire Western University community — students, faculty, staff, and IT support providers — with a hub-and-spoke platform organized around three user-facing pillars (Learn It, Protect It, Report It) and a parallel set of resources for IT support providers covering policies and compliance, incident management, procedures, technology risk assessments, and training. The platform is not a commercial product; it is a non-revenue-generating cost center funded through the university's general operations.

The product surface spans cybersecurity awareness training (delivered via a partnership with MetaCompliance), endpoint protection (CrowdStrike Falcon Protect), multi-factor authentication (DUO), data protection tools (email encryption with GPG tooling, secure file sharing, backups), password management guidance (Bitwarden, 1Password, Dashlane), and formalized governance artifacts including an Acceptable Use Policy, data classification and handling standards, and a Technology Risk Assessment (TRAC) process. An in-house Security Operations Center (SOC) operates a standardized communication framework using subject-line tags ([SOC-INFO], [SOC-ADVISORY], [SOC-NOTICE], [SOC-ALERT]) and urgency levels ([LOW] through [CRITICAL]) to distinguish legitimate security communications from phishing. The program is governed by a cross-departmental CyberSmart Committee and is mandated to align with university policies (MAPP 1.13, MAPP 1.23) and external regulations including PIPEDA, FIPPA, PHIPA, PCI DSS, and NIST SP 800-171.

The business model is institutional rather than commercial: Cybersmart does not sell to external customers, does not disclose pricing, and has no revenue model beyond university budget allocation. Distribution is exclusively through internal channels — the Cybersmart website (cybersmart.uwo.ca), the WTS Helpdesk (Jira Service Desk), and campus communication channels — with a single end-user population (the Western community). Technology is delivered through a stack of third-party vendors (MetaCompliance, CrowdStrike, DUO, GPG tooling) rather than proprietary in-house platforms, and no AI/ML capabilities, patents, or external funding are associated with the program.

Name

Cybersmart

Legal name

Cybersmart - Western University

Website

https://cybersmart.uwo.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cybersmart is the internal cybersecurity awareness, training, and protection program of Western University, serving students, faculty, staff, and IT support providers with awareness training, endpoint protection, MFA, incident reporting, and compliance resources — a non-commercial, institutionally funded cost center within Western Technology Services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Awareness & Training

NAICS

Computer Training (61142), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Cybersecurity Support Services (Phishing Response, Account Compromise Triage) (EDALAMAL)

Keywords

• Cybersecurity awareness training
• Endpoint protection
• Incident response
• Multi-factor authentication
• Compliance risk management

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. University Internal Service: Cybersmart is an internal service provided by Western University's Western Technology Services (WTS) to the campus community. It is not a revenue-generating commercial entity but rather a cost center supporting the university's cybersecurity posture and regulatory compliance requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cybersmart is Western University's internal cybersecurity awareness and protection program, providing campus-wide cybersecurity training, incident reporting, endpoint protection, multi-factor authentication, and compliance resources to students, faculty, and staff. It operates through the Western Technology Services (WTS) Security Operations Center using a combination of third-party tools (MetaCompliance for training, CrowdStrike for endpoint protection, DUO for MFA) and internally developed frameworks, policies, and procedure documentation.

Product overview

CyberSmart is Western University's comprehensive cybersecurity awareness and protection platform, providing cybersecurity training, incident reporting, policy compliance, and security resources to the campus community. The platform operates through a hub-and-spoke architecture with core offerings including the MetaCompliance-powered CyberSmart Training program (covering phishing, password security, internet safety, and privacy), the Incident and Breach Reporting system, and the Policies, Compliance & Risk Management framework. Supplementary sub-products include device protection tools (antivirus/CrowdStrike, mobile device security, desktop protection), data protection services (encryption, secure file sharing, backups), authentication tools (MFA/DUO, password managers), and specialized resources like the SOC Communication Standards, Technology Risk Assessments (TRAC), and the CyberSmart Committee. The platform serves both the general Western community and IT Support Providers with tailored content pathways.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CyberSmart Training (MetaCompliance-powered) Cybersecurity awareness training platform that provides Western community members with interactive training on topics including phishing awareness, password security, internet safety, and privacy protection. Delivered in partnership with MetaCompliance.
• Incident and Breach Reporting Centralized reporting hub enabling Western community members to report cybersecurity incidents, privacy breaches, and cardholder data incidents to appropriate response teams including WTS Help Desk, Privacy Office, and Bank Card Committee.
• Policies, Compliance & Risk Management Comprehensive resource library providing Western's cybersecurity policies, compliance frameworks, risk management guidelines, and regulatory adherence documentation for IT support providers.
• Procedures & Resources Step-by-step security procedures and resources for IT support providers covering device recovery, antivirus deployment, malware protection, mobile device security, working from personal devices, and system hardening.
• Technology Risk Assessments (TRAC) Process and committee for examining proposed technology solutions being introduced into the Western University environment to identify and assess associated risks. Now hosted on the TRAC site.
• Antivirus Protection (CrowdStrike) Endpoint protection service powered by CrowdStrike Falcon Protect, deployed to Western-owned Windows workstations, servers, and Linux devices through the WTS Helpdesk to provide malware detection and endpoint protection.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (DUO) Multi-factor authentication service using DUO, providing guidance on recognizing and preventing MFA attacks including persistent requests, masked requests, phone verification spoofing, and phishing attempts.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MetaCompliancecoreTechnology or IntegrationWestern University has partnered with MetaCompliance to provide the CyberSmart training (formerly cybersecurity awareness training) to the Western community. This training is designed to highlight cybersecurity best practices on topics including using strong passwords and recognizing phishing attacks.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Mimecast: Email security and security awareness vendor offering phishing simulation and awareness content; overlaps with Cybersmart's email protection and phishing awareness scope.
• SANS Institute: Broad cybersecurity training and certification provider; comparable as a higher-tier reference point for the training and awareness curriculum Cybersmart delivers to Western.

Emerging players

• Hoxhunt: AI-driven security awareness and phishing simulation platform with a strong behavior-change focus; overlapping use case with Cybersmart's training program but commercial and global.

Direct peers

• Proofpoint Security Awareness: Enterprise security awareness, phishing simulation, and security training platform; comparable in function to Cybersmart's awareness training program, but commercial and multi-tenant.
• Curricula: Cybersecurity awareness training platform focused on engaging, story-driven content; directly comparable in scope and audience to Cybersmart's training program.
• Cofense (PhishMe): Phishing simulation, threat intelligence, and incident response platform; comparable to the phishing-awareness and SOC triage aspects of Cybersmart.
• KnowBe4: Market-leading commercial provider of security awareness training and phishing simulation that maps directly to Cybersmart's MetaCompliance-based training offering, but delivered to enterprises worldwide.
• Infosec IQ: Security awareness and training platform from Infosec Institute covering phishing, compliance, and role-based training; functionally overlaps Cybersmart's awareness and phishing content.

Others

• CrowdStrike: Provider of the Falcon Protect endpoint detection and response product deployed by Cybersmart across Western-owned devices; infrastructure supplier rather than peer in awareness training.
• MetaCompliance: Provider of the actual security awareness and policy training platform that powers CyberSmart Training; an enabling technology supplier rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/westernuwts
• Xx.com/westernuCybSmrt
• Facebookfacebook.com/WesternUCyberSmart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/westernu-cybersmart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cybersmart