74 percent of organizations in the EMEA region are taking ‘risky’ security measures, according to research by Insights. The situation in the Benelux is even more alarming.
According to research by Insight Enterprises, only one in four organizations in the EMEA region has sufficient internal expertise to keep pace with evolving threats. The consequences are clear: 57 percent struggle to comply with compliance requirements. Due to the skills shortage, three out of four companies are taking temporary and ‘risky’ measures.
The shortage is not limited to technical roles. There is also a clear gap at operational and management levels. According to Insight, this undermines both the daily resilience and long-term strategy of organizations.
Alarming Situation in the Benelux
The situation appears to be particularly alarming in the Benelux. Belgian and Dutch organizations report shortages in strategic areas such as governance, risk assessment, and policy planning. As many as 84 percent of surveyed organizations in Belgium indicate they lack sufficient skills.
Not unrelated, Belgian companies are experiencing major challenges around regulations. More than half of the organizations in Belgium and the Netherlands report a severe to significant impact on their security capabilities.
Costs and Scarcity Hinder Solution
Filling open positions proves difficult. 68 percent of IT leaders in EMEA cite the high costs of recruitment and training as a barrier. In Belgium, this figure rises to 75 percent. Additionally, 65 percent point to a lack of qualified candidates in the job market.
According to Insight, the scarcity calls for more than just additional personnel or tools. The company advocates for a fundamental review of how organizations approach security. The emphasis must shift from reactive defense to proactive integration of security into digital strategies.
Leadership plays a key role in this. Organizations must invest in profiles that can link technical risks to business priorities and embed security in innovation processes. Only in this way can companies strengthen their resilience and continue to grow sustainably in an increasingly complex threat landscape.