Security awareness training can reduce organizational phishing susceptibility by 79% after one year of consistent implementation. Specifically, this finding comes from the newly released 2026 Phishing by Industry Benchmarking Report by KnowBe4. The study analyzed 42 million phishing simulations across 14.8 million users at 64,000 organizations globally.
Cybercriminals are increasingly using artificial intelligence to generate highly personalized phishing campaigns and deepfake-enabled social engineering attacks. Consequently, the global average percentage of employees likely to engage with a phishing attack starts at 33.2% before any instruction. However, this figure drops to 20.1% after 90 days of active learning.
The Impact of Security Awareness Training
The report highlights that continuous cybersecurity education drives lasting behavior change rather than one-time compliance exercises. Specifically, the susceptibility rate falls to just 4.2% after one year of regular security awareness training. This dramatic reduction demonstrates the measurable value of ongoing simulated phishing exercises for modern workforces.
Vulnerabilities by Industry and Organization Size
Baseline risk levels vary significantly depending on the size of the organization. For instance, large enterprises with over 10,000 employees face a baseline susceptibility of 39.5%. Meanwhile, small businesses experience a lower baseline rate of 24.7% before receiving any instruction.
Certain sectors remain highly vulnerable to digital threats. Notably, healthcare and pharmaceuticals recorded the highest baseline risk at 42.7% for the second consecutive year. Insurance followed at 38.1%, while the retail and wholesale sector registered a 36% baseline susceptibility rate.
Regional Variations in Phishing Susceptibility
Geographic data reveals distinct differences in baseline risk across global markets. Specifically, Africa recorded the highest baseline risk at 35.9%, followed closely by North America at 34.5%. In contrast, Asia entered the benchmarking report with the lowest baseline risk at 24.9%.
Addressing the Growing Attack Surface
Organizations are expanding their workforces to include autonomous digital agents, which increases the overall attack surface. Javvad Malik, lead CISO advisor at KnowBe4, stated that this complexity is being actively exploited by cybercriminals. He noted a 17% spike in phishing attacks since late 2025 alone.
To mitigate these risks, organizations must adopt a structured approach to digital defense. Implementing a consistent security awareness training program remains the most effective method to reduce human error. Ultimately, regular simulations prepare employees to recognize sophisticated social engineering tactics before they cause operational damage.
