Three-quarters of organizations in the Benelux faced an email security incident last year. Those who respond slowly face significantly higher ransomware risk.
Nearly four out of five organizations that take longer than nine hours to address an email incident become victims of ransomware. This is according to the
Fast Response Remains Elusive
In the Benelux, 76 percent of surveyed organizations faced at least one email security incident last year. According to the research, the high recovery costs and impact on business operations are tangible. The average global damage per incident amounts to $217,068.
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Smaller companies in particular experience major financial consequences. At companies with 50 to 100 employees, recovery costs reached an average of $1,946 per employee. At larger organizations (1,000 to 2,000 employees), it was $243 per person.
Fast detection of email threats proves problematic. Only half of respondents globally discovered a breach within an hour. Complex attacks, a shortage of specialized staff, and lack of automation hinder rapid response.
Impact on Reputation and Growth
45 percent of Benelux organizations reported suffering reputational damage from an incident. Many organizations also missed business opportunities, slowing growth. Advanced evasion techniques were cited by 57 percent of respondents as the biggest obstacle to timely response. More than half indicated that the absence of automated incident response delays threat mitigation.
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Barracuda bases the report on an international survey of 2,000 IT and security decision makers. Participating organizations have between 50 and 2,000 employees and operate across various sectors. The survey took place in April and May 2025 in the Benelux, North America, the UK, and Asia, among other regions.