Why Tartan
If your school is on Microsoft 365 A5 or Office 365 A5, yes. On A1 or A3, it needs a Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 add-on. Tartan App works with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, and public districts and school boards pay per school.
Free onboarding. Same-day support via email, phone, or video call.
What Each Side Covers
Microsoft includes Attack Simulation Training in Microsoft 365 A5 and Office 365 A5. On A1 and A3, it's a Plan 2 add-on at $5 per user per month. With Tartan, $191 a year covers one public school: phishing simulations, staff videos, and the report button with Threat Manager.
Transparent pricing and no expensive onboarding fees. Compare security awareness training prices across vendors.
Built for schools
Why Tartan wins
Attack Simulation Training is part of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2, so your school's plan decides whether you have it. We built Tartan only for K-12 schools.
Microsoft's list of what each license includes shows no Defender for Office 365 in A1, A3 for faculty, or A3 for students. To run Attack Simulation Training, you add a Plan 2 license. Tartan is sold on its own, and public districts and school boards pay per school.
Then the tool is already in your plan. Microsoft 365 A5 and Office 365 A5, for faculty and for students, all include Defender for Office 365 Plan 2. Its training library, though, has no student or school category (as of October 2026). Tartan adds Student Phishing & Video Training for middle and high school students, plus points for staff who report.
Microsoft says Chrome's Safe Browsing blocks some of its simulation links with a "Deceptive site ahead" warning. Its fix is to allow those URLs in Chrome Enterprise and test each link first. Shared mailboxes aren't supported, and guests are left out. Tartan's onboarding is free.
Microsoft says simulation messages reported by non-Microsoft tools aren't captured in its simulation reports. Its own button is the built-in Report button in Outlook. Tartan App Shield works in Gmail and Outlook and sends reports to Threat Manager for review. It can also send each report to Microsoft Defender, so your security team keeps working from one queue. Staff earn points when they report.
Comparison
A clear view of where Tartan fits K-12 needs compared with Microsoft Attack Simulation Training.
Comparison details can vary based on plan and configuration. Contact us for a tailored assessment.
Texas Cyber Command certified Tartan App’s cybersecurity awareness training program for the 2026–2027 program year.
K-12 proof
Measured result
Verona Area School District staff have reported 152 suspicious emails with Tartan App Shield since it went live in July 2026.
Testimonial
"Now, we can set it and forget it with our campaigns, and respond to emails flagged as phishing."
Jason Rubo, Director of Technology and Digital Learning, Verona Area School District
Contact us
Get a personalized walkthrough and see how Tartan fits your district's security awareness goals.
FAQs
No. Microsoft's list of what each license includes shows no Defender for Office 365 plan in A3 for faculty or A3 for students. Attack Simulation Training needs Defender for Office 365 Plan 2. So an A3 school either adds Plan 2 or moves to Microsoft 365 A5 or Office 365 A5, which include it.
Microsoft lists student licenses as their own plans. A5 for students includes Defender for Office 365 Plan 2, and A3 for students doesn't list it. Tartan prices student training per school for public districts and school boards instead. Student Phishing & Video Training is $270 a year for one public school.
Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 is $5 per user per month, paid yearly, on Microsoft's Defender page: $3,600 a year for 60 staff. Office 365 A5, which includes it, lists at $8 per faculty user per month. Ours are public too: the pricing page lists them for 1 to 10 schools. One public school pays $191 a year for staff simulations, videos, and the report button.
Microsoft's FAQ says Google Safe Browsing in Chrome blocks some simulation links with a "Deceptive site ahead" warning. Microsoft works with URL reputation services but says it doesn't always have full coverage. Its fix is to allow the URLs in Chrome Enterprise, and to check each link in your browsers before a campaign.
No. Microsoft's FAQ says simulation messages reported by non-Microsoft tools aren't captured in its simulation reports. Its own button is the built-in Report button in Outlook. Tartan App Shield works in Gmail and Outlook and sends reports to Tartan's Threat Manager.
Yes. Tartan delivers simulations through Microsoft's Advanced Delivery or direct injection, and Tartan App Shield can send reports to both Tartan's Threat Manager and Microsoft Defender. Many schools keep Defender for email security and use Tartan for simulations and training.