Phishing Vulnerability Reduced by 83% Through Training in Europe

A new study reveals that European companies can reduce employee vulnerability to phishing by 83% after one year of security training. The 'Phishing by Industry Benchmarking Report 2026' analyzed 42 million phishing simulations across 14.8 million users in 64,000 companies worldwide. It found that the average 'phish-prone percentage' (PPP) is 31.1% before training, dropping to 21.4% after 90 days and to just 5.4% after one year. The healthcare, pharmaceuticals, insurance, and retail sectors are identified as the most vulnerable. Cybercriminals are increasingly using AI to create sophisticated phishing attacks, making employee training more critical than ever. The report indicates that larger companies exhibit higher vulnerability rates, with large firms having a baseline PPP of 38.1%. The findings emphasize the importance of ongoing training and awareness to combat evolving phishing tactics.

Key Points: • European companies can reduce phishing vulnerability by 83% with one year of training. • Healthcare, pharmaceuticals, insurance, and retail are the most affected sectors. • AI is increasingly used by cybercriminals to enhance phishing attack sophistication.