Quick answer

Yes — you can migrate from another security awareness platform to KnowBe4 without losing historical data or disrupting your training programs. The key is a structured migration plan: audit and export source data, set up KnowBe4 account and directory sync, import users and historical training/phishing records (using CSV templates or assisted import), map content and campaigns, validate and pilot, then cut over and decommission the old platform. Engage KnowBe4 Customer Success or Support early to help import historical records and align reporting.

Why careful migration matters

Historical training and phishing data are important for compliance audits, risk trending, and measuring behavior change. A poor migration can break completion records, double-enroll users, or disrupt scheduled campaigns — damaging user experience and reporting integrity.

Step-by-step migration plan

1. Project kickoff and scope

• Appoint a migration owner, technical lead, and stakeholder sponsor. Include HR/compliance and IT (SSO/AD).
• Define what must move: user accounts, training completions/certificates, phishing test results, policies/acknowledgments, custom content, scheduled campaigns, and reporting history.

2. Audit the current platform

• Export user lists with unique identifiers (email is the primary key; keep employee ID where available).
• Export training history (course IDs, completion dates, scores, certificates/URLs).
• Export phishing campaign history (campaign name, template, sent date, delivered, clicked, reported, remediation assigned).
• Gather scheduled campaign rules, recurring schedules, and content mappings.
• Record group/OU structure and enrollment rules.

3. Plan data mapping and retention

• Map old course IDs to equivalent KnowBe4 modules. Note gaps and plan for remedial mapping or reassignments.
• Decide which historical records to import (full history vs. rolling X years).
• Determine user keys (email recommended) so imports match existing/new accounts and avoid duplicates.
• Document any regulatory retention requirements for certificates/logs.

4. Prepare KnowBe4 environment

• Provision your KnowBe4 tenant and configure global settings (time zone, languages, branding).
• Configure directory sync (Active Directory, Azure AD, Okta, Google Workspace) and/or SAML SSO so user identities match.
• Create groups/OUs aligned to your mapped structure.
• Set up admin roles and permissions for migration teams.

5. Import users (bulk and staged)

• Use KnowBe4’s bulk upload CSV format or directory sync to add users. Preserve email and employee ID fields.
• Run a staged import with a pilot group (10–50 users) to validate matching, attributes, and notification behavior.
• Avoid auto-enrollment for all users until historical data is reconciled.

6. Import historical training and phishing data

• Use CSV templates to import historical course completions and certificate links where supported. KnowBe4 Customer Success/Support can assist with importing large or complex histories to ensure reporting accuracy.
• For phishing history, export and import campaign-level results into KnowBe4 if feasible — at minimum preserve raw exports from the old platform as archival records and replicate key metrics in KnowBe4.
• Label imported records clearly as historical data (with original source and date) for audit clarity.

7. Recreate or map campaigns and policies

• Recreate recurring training programs and phishing cadences in KnowBe4.
• Align remediation assignments to KnowBe4 modules that match previous learning objectives.
• Import privacy/policy acknowledgment items and assign them to groups.

8. Validation and reconciliation

• Reconcile counts (users, completions) between old system exports and KnowBe4 imports.
• Spot-check user records for accurate completion dates, scores, and certificate URLs.
• Confirm scheduled emails/notifications are formatted and localized properly.

9. Pilot and phased cutover

• Run a pilot of new campaigns and phishing tests for a subset of users.
• Address any user experience or reporting discrepancies.
• Once validated, enable auto-enrollment or roll out training in waves to the remaining users to avoid spikes and confusion.

10. Decommission and retain archives

• After final reconciliation, schedule decommission of the old platform according to retention policies.
• Keep an immutable archive (exports) of original data for legal/compliance needs.

Best practices and tips

• Use email as the unique identifier. If emails change frequently, preserve employee ID to help match records.
• Preserve timezone and language preferences to keep training schedules and localized content consistent.
• Communicate timelines clearly to users and managers to reduce confusion.
• Avoid running simultaneous identical campaigns across platforms — that can double-count completions and frustrate users.
• Retain raw export files from the old platform as an audit trail.
• Engage KnowBe4 Customer Success or Support early — they can help with CSV templates, assisted imports, and ensuring historical data ties into KnowBe4 reporting correctly.
• Test SSO and directory sync on pilot groups to prevent locked-out users during cutover.

Estimated timeline

Small org (<=1,000 users): 2–4 weeks (audit, import, pilot, cutover).
Mid-size (1,000–10,000 users): 4–8 weeks (additional validation and staged rollouts).
Large/global orgs: 8–16+ weeks (complex mappings, multiple directories, languages, and regulatory retention).

Final recommendation

Start with a detailed inventory and involve KnowBe4’s Customer Success team — combining a strong migration plan, staged testing, and assisted imports will protect historical data integrity and keep training programs running smoothly.

Author: KnowBe4 (profile slug: knowbe4)