When the Saudi Pro League (SPL) set out to build its cybersecurity program from scratch, Cybersecurity Manager Roy Al Kossaify started with the biggest risk: people. “You can have the best firewalls… at the end of the day, one user can click on a well-crafted phishing email and it’s game over,” he says.
The challenge
SPL was being targeted regularly with highly personalized phishing, often aimed at C-level leaders. Nothing catastrophic had happened yet, but the pattern was clear: “Sooner or later something was gonna happen… so it only made sense to be proactive.”
Why Keepnet
Roy’s team reviewed several options and chose Keepnet for three reasons:
- Unlimited simulations instead of restrictive “one campaign per year” models.
- Rich, multi-provider content library that could be tailored to audiences.
- Straightforward implementation and strong cost-to-value ratio.
“It was the intuitive decision to go with Keepnet,” Roy notes.
Smooth onboarding, zero drama
Roy had no major fears going in because the evaluation was transparent and hands-on: “Everything was explained thoroughly… what can be done and what can’t. Onboarding was pretty smooth and since then, smooth sailing.”
Reaching everyone, in their own language
With 20+ nationalities inside SPL, multi-language training content mattered. Delivering awareness in employees’ native languages ensured the message landed: “That was really important for us.”
What changed
- Culture & conversations: Early simulations (run quietly to build trust) sparked organic discussions across teams, people compared scenarios and began spotting risks together. “It kind of kickstarted the whole awareness… people are attentive now. It was cool. It was fun.”
- Trust over fear: The program encourages reporting, not blame, so employees feel safe to speak up-even about issues outside work.
- Faster, simpler workflow: With one-click reporting for users and a streamlined review on the security side, Roy estimates the typical 10–15 minute back-and-forth per suspicious email has been collapsed to just a couple of clicks. “It made everything more streamlined, more easy for me, and, most importantly, for our employees.”
Roy’s advice to peers
“Just go for it. You get a proper simulator, a big content library… and the value-to-cost ratio is amazing. No arbitrary limits, use it to play, learn, improve.”
