What DCT Security does

DCT Security Limited is a privately held, bootstrapped cybersecurity awareness training provider founded in 2017 in Cork, Ireland, with additional offices in Galway and Oxford. The company sells goDeep, a SaaS platform that delivers episodic, character-driven security behaviour training alongside simulated email phishing, satirical in-world media (Hack FM and Hack TV), and attacker-perspective episodes designed to change employee behaviour rather than satisfy compliance checkboxes.

The goDeep product combines a content library of narrative training series (set in fictional company Digital Creative Technologies) with a portfolio of specialised modules: Security in Business, AI Literacy, Data Privacy/GDPR, The Analysts, Fortress Finance, The Phishing Files, and IT Joe's Cyber Crash Course. Distribution is sales-led via a "Book a call" CTA and direct enterprise engagement, with self-service access at godeep.dctsecurity.com for client administrators and end users. Pricing is quote-based with no public tiers. Customer data is stored in an ISO 27001-accredited, EU-tenanted cloud environment.

The founding team — co-founders Donogh McGrath (Creative Director, 30+ years IT/security leadership) and Thomas McKnight (CTO, SANS/EC-Council certified, formerly FTSE 250 SOC lead and Fortune 500 web application security lead), plus Director of Platform Architecture David Herlihy — anchors the platform's domain credibility. Headcount is reported as 1–10, and the company is affiliated with CyberIreland. No external funding, M&A activity, or institutional investor involvement is disclosed in the source material.

Name

DCT Security

Legal name

DCT Security Limited

Website

https://dctsecurity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DCT Security provides goDeep, a SaaS cybersecurity awareness and phishing simulation platform built around episodic storytelling, serving enterprise organisations across the UK and Ireland with sales-led subscriptions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Security Awareness Training Software

NAICS

Computer Training (61142), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Cybersecurity Training & Awareness Programs (BPAEANAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cybersecurity Awareness & Digital Safety Training for Security Personnel (BPAKAOAO), Cybersecurity Learning Platforms (EDAFANAF)

Keywords

• Security awareness training
• Phishing simulation platform
• Human risk management
• Cybersecurity behavior training
• Security culture SaaS

Headquarters

HQ city

Marcham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. SaaS Subscription - goDeep Platform: goDeep platform is offered as a SaaS subscription service providing cybersecurity awareness training, phishing simulations, and security culture programs to organizations. The platform tracks user progress, test results, and training completion.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DCT Security provides the goDeep SaaS platform, which delivers cybersecurity awareness training and simulated phishing exercises to organisations through episodic, character-driven storytelling set inside a fictional company called Digital Creative Technologies (DCT). The platform combines 5-10 minute narrative training episodes, in-world satirical media (Hack FM and Hack TV), phishing simulation, and crisis simulation to build security culture and reduce human cyber risk across all employee roles.

Product overview

DCT Security offers a unified SaaS platform called goDeep, which combines a cybersecurity awareness training and simulated email phishing platform with multiple training modules. The core product is goDeep, a SaaS business platform accessible at godeep.dctsecurity.com, which hosts the narrative-based training series goDeep Stories — featuring episodic, character-driven scenarios set inside fictional company Digital Creative Technologies — alongside structured courses including Security in Business, AI Literacy, Data Privacy Protection & GDPR, The Analysts, Fortress Finance, The Phishing Files, IT Joe's Cyber Crash Course, and additional Data Protection & GDPR training. The platform uses simulated phishing emails and satirical in-world media (Hack FM, Hack TV) to deliver behavioural security culture training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• goDeep: goDeep is a SaaS business cyber security awareness training and simulated email phishing platform, featuring Netflix-style story-based training content.

Products and services

• goDeep goDeep is a SaaS-based cybersecurity awareness training and simulated email phishing platform that delivers narrative-driven, episodic security behaviour training to corporate workforces across all employee roles.
• goDeep Stories The core narrative training series set inside fictional company Digital Creative Technologies (DCT), featuring character-driven story arcs across 12 episodes covering phishing, social engineering, deepfakes, and insider threats, accompanied by satirical in-world media Hack FM and Hack TV.
• Security in Business An all-round practical cybersecurity course covering core principles, real-business threats, and everyday controls including email, identity security, cloud, mobile, and remote working safety, plus incident reporting and security programme management.
• AI Literacy A one-hour, Netflix-style AI literacy series explaining what AI is and isn't, how language models work, prompting techniques, and risks such as hallucinations, source-checking failures, data exposure, deepfakes, and AI-weaponised cyber attacks.
• Data Privacy, Protection and GDPR A practical data protection course that brings GDPR to life through real-world scenarios, helping individuals understand their rights and organisations build everyday habits that protect customers, staff, and the business.
• The Analysts A behaviour-change training course that uses narrative storytelling to make employees feel cybersecurity risks and internalize them, shifting awareness into changed behaviour rather than just providing information.
• Fortress Finance Specialised cybersecurity training for finance and management teams covering social engineering, manipulation tactics, and novel cyber attack recognition to defend against cyber warfare targeting financial functions.
• The Phishing Files An intensive phishing-focused training module for employees who repeatedly fall for phishing emails, demonstrating the severe consequences for companies that can result from a single phish.
• IT Joe's Cyber Crash Course A security refresher crash course targeting technically confident IT staff whose overconfidence can lead to errors, covering current threats and best practices.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CyberIrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCT Security is connected with CyberIreland, an organization supporting cybersecurity development in Ireland. DCT Security's Connect With Us section features CyberIreland, suggesting active participation in the Irish cybersecurity ecosystem and industry collaboration.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SoSafe: European-based security awareness platform with strong DACH presence, offering phishing simulations, e-learning, and behavioral analytics. Comparable in go-to-market focus (European mid-market/enterprise) and product depth, though SoSafe has raised substantial venture capital enabling faster feature velocity than DCT.
• Ninjio Cybersecurity Awareness: Closest direct peer — Ninjio also delivers episodic, animated storytelling-based security awareness training with short 3-4 minute episodes targeting employee behavior change. Both compete on the premise that narrative-driven content beats compliance-style training, and both target mid-market and enterprise buyers.
• Phished: Belgian-headquartered security awareness and phishing simulation platform with strong European footprint. Direct competitor in the same SaaS training category, similarly focused on automation of phishing simulations plus training delivery for SMB and mid-market.
• Cofense: US-based phishing defense and awareness platform combining simulated phishing, threat intelligence, and incident response. Direct overlap with DCT's phishing simulation component and a benchmark for how phishing-first vendors evolve into broader awareness platforms.
• KnowBe4: Direct competitor offering the largest security awareness training and phishing simulation platform globally. Both target the same buyer (CISO/security teams) with subscription training plus simulated phishing, and both sell horizontally across employee populations. KnowBe4's scale dwarfs DCT but they serve the same fundamental need.
• Hoxhunt: Finnish security awareness and phishing simulation platform combining gamified training with frequent simulated attacks and behavior-change measurement. Direct overlap with goDeep's phishing simulation plus training delivery, with a stronger emphasis on individual-level metrics and gamification vs. DCT's narrative approach.

Broad incumbents

• SANS Institute: Broad incumbent in cybersecurity training and certifications with a much deeper catalog focused on technical/IT security practitioners. SANS also offers Securing The Human awareness content for end users, placing it in tangential competition with DCT's general-employee training — though SANS's strength is technical depth, not narrative-driven engagement.
• Proofpoint Security Awareness: Broad incumbent offering security awareness training as part of a much larger enterprise security and compliance portfolio. Competes with DCT in phishing simulation and awareness modules, but Proofpoint bundles it with email security, DLP, and compliance — providing context for DCT to position goDeep as a best-of-breed awareness-only alternative.

Emerging players

• CybSafe: UK-based emerging player in security awareness and human risk management, emphasizing behavioral science and risk quantification. Direct overlap with goDeep on awareness training, with stronger analytics and reporting — useful peer for benchmarking product roadmap direction.
• Wizer Training: Smaller security awareness training vendor offering bite-sized security and compliance training modules. Comparable in delivery format (short training modules) and SMB/mid-market positioning, though Wizer relies on standard microlearning rather than DCT's episodic storytelling approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dct-security-ltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 DCT Security