ROI van Security Awareness Training: Cijfers die spreken
Lisa Vermeulen
Security Awareness Specialist

ROI van Security Awareness Training: Cijfers die spreken
"Security awareness training kost geld maar levert niets op" - een veelgehoorde misvatting. De realiteit? Effectieve SAT is een van de meest winstgevende security investeringen die je kunt doen.
Laten we de cijfers laten spreken.
De business case voor SAT
Wat kost een data breach in 2025?
Volgens IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024:
| Factor | Gemiddelde kosten (Nederland) |
|---|---|
| Direct incident response | €127.000 |
| Business disruption | €213.000 |
| Lost revenue | €189.000 |
| Regulatory fines | €95.000 - €2.500.000 |
| Reputational damage | €156.000 |
| Legal fees | €83.000 |
| TOTAAL | €863.000 - €3.281.000 |
Voor een middelgroot bedrijf (500 medewerkers) kan één ernstige breach het equivalent zijn van 8-15% van de jaaromzet.
De kosten van Security Awareness Training
Laten we realistisch zijn over de investering:
Typische SAT-kosten voor 500 medewerkers
Platform & Simulaties:
- AmiPhished platform: €4.500/jaar
- Phishing simulaties: Included
- Training content: Included
Tijd & Resources:
- Security manager (10h/maand): €6.000/jaar
- Employee time (2h/jaar/person): €50.000/jaar
Totale investering: ±€60.500/jaar
Per medewerker breakdown
- €121 per medewerker per jaar
- €10 per medewerker per maand
- Minder dan een kop koffie per week
ROI Berekening: Real-world data
We analyseerden 153 Nederlandse organisaties die AmiPhished gebruiken sinds minimaal 12 maanden.
Baseline statistieken (voor SAT)
- Gemiddelde click rate: 32%
- Credential submission rate: 18%
- Reporting rate: 4%
Na 12 maanden consistent SAT
- Click rate: 6% (↓ 81%)
- Credential submission rate: 2% (↓ 89%)
- Reporting rate: 43% (↑ 975%)
Risk reductie berekening
Scenario: Organisatie met 500 medewerkers
Voor SAT:
- 32% klikt op phishing → 160 medewerkers
- 18% submit credentials → 90 gecompromitteerde accounts
- 4% rapporteert verdachte emails → 20 medewerkers
Na SAT:
- 6% klikt → 30 medewerkers
- 2% submit credentials → 10 gecompromitteerde accounts
- 43% rapporteert → 215 medewerkers
Risk reductie: 89% minder gecompromitteerde accounts
Financiële impact
Aangenomen dat:
- Waarschijnlijkheid van breach via phishing = 12% per jaar (SANS Institute)
- Gemiddelde breach kosten = €1.500.000
Zonder SAT:
- Expected annual loss = €1.500.000 × 12% = €180.000
Met SAT (89% risk reductie):
- Expected annual loss = €1.500.000 × 12% × 11% = €19.800
Besparing per jaar: €160.200
ROI Berekening
ROI = (Besparing - Investering) / Investering × 100%
ROI = (€160.200 - €60.500) / €60.500 × 100%
ROI = 165%
En dit is een conservatieve schatting! We houden geen rekening met:
- Compliance boetes vermeden
- Reputational damage voorkomen
- Customer trust behouden
- Business continuity
- Producitiviteit gains
Beyond breach prevention: Hidden benefits
1. Compliance kosten reductie
NIS2, GDPR, ISO 27001 - allemaal vereisen security awareness.
- Internal audit kosten: €15.000 - €30.000/jaar
- External certification: €20.000 - €50.000/jaar
- Non-compliance fines: €500.000 - €20.000.000
Met gedocumenteerde SAT:
- Snellere audits (30-50% minder tijd)
- Hogere slagingskans
- Demonstreerbare compliance
- Verminderd risico op fines
2. Cyber insurance premiums
Insurers geven 10-25% korting voor organisaties met:
- Active security awareness program
- Regular phishing simulations
- Documented training completion rates
- Incident response capabilities
Voorbeeld premium reductie:
- Originele premium: €45.000/jaar
- Korting met SAT: 15%
- Besparing: €6.750/jaar
3. Help desk efficiency
Phishing reports genereren help desk tickets.
Voor SAT:
- 200 phishing emails/maand → 8 tickets (4% report rate)
- Gemiddelde handling time: 15 min
- Kosten: €240/maand
Na SAT:
- 200 phishing emails/maand → 86 tickets (43% report rate)
- MAAR: Automated triage via platform
- False positive reduction door training
- Kosten: €180/maand (ondanks meer reports!)
Plus: Early detection voorkomt major incidents.
4. Incident response kosten
Wanneer (niet als) er een incident is:
Trained workforce:
- ✅ Faster detection (gemiddeld 180 vs 287 dagen)
- ✅ Better containment (minder lateral movement)
- ✅ Effective communication (weet wie te contacteren)
- ✅ Reduced dwell time
Kosten impact:
- Elke dag kortere dwell time = €5.000 - €15.000 bespaard
- Bij 100 dagen snellere detectie = €500.000 - €1.500.000
Measuring SAT effectiveness: KPIs that matter
Leading indicators (predict future performance)
-
Phishing Susceptibility Rate (PSR)
- Click rate op simulaties
- Target: minder dan 8% binnen 12 maanden
-
Training Completion Rate
- % medewerkers die modules afrondt
- Target: meer dan 95%
-
Time to Complete
- Hoe snel reageren mensen op training assignments
- Target: minder dan 7 dagen
Lagging indicators (measure results)
-
Credential Submission Rate
- % dat daadwerkelijk credentials invoert
- Target: minder dan 2%
-
Reporting Rate
- % dat suspicious emails rapporteert
- Target: meer dan 40%
-
Repeat Offenders
- Medewerkers die consistent falen
- Target: minder dan 5%
-
Real-world incidents
- Actual breaches via phishing
- Target: 0
Case study: Financial services firm (750 employees)
Challenge
- High-value target voor criminelen
- Regulatory pressure (DNB, AFM)
- Previous breach in 2023 (€890.000 damage)
Implementation
- Month 1-2: Baseline assessment + kick-off training
- Month 3-12: Monthly phishing simulations + microlearning
- Ongoing: Quarterly advanced training modules
Results
| Metric | Before SAT | After 12M | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Click rate | 38% | 5% | 87% ↓ |
| Credential submission | 22% | 1% | 95% ↓ |
| Reporting rate | 6% | 51% | 750% ↑ |
| Real phishing attempts reported | 12/year | 127/year | 958% ↑ |
Financial impact
Investment:
- Platform: €7.500/jaar
- Internal resources: €25.000/jaar
- Total: €32.500
Measured benefits:
- Avoided breach (estimated): €890.000
- Insurance premium reduction: €8.400
- Compliance audit efficiency: €12.000
- Help desk optimization: €4.500
- Total: €914.900
ROI: 2,714% 🚀
CISO quote
"Security awareness training was onze beste security investment ooit. We gingen van 'mensen zijn het probleem' naar 'mensen zijn onze sterkste verdedigingslinie'."
— Rob de Vries, CISO
Common objections (and rebuttals)
"Onze mensen zijn al goed opgeleid"
Data says otherwise:
- 82% van breaches involve human element (Verizon DBIR)
- Zelfs security professionals falen phishing tests (avg. 14%)
- Threats evolueren - training moet mee
"We hebben geen budget"
Consider:
- Kosten van één breach >> kosten van SAT
- Compliance fines >> SAT investment
- Employee downtime tijdens incident >> training time
Budget perspective: €121/employee/year vs €2.000+/employee breach impact
"Te veel tijdsinvestering voor employees"
Reality:
- Microlearning: 5-10 min/maand
- Just-in-time training: bij failed simulation
- Gamification maakt het engaging
- Total time: ~2 hours/jaar
vs: Hours/days dealing with breach aftermath
"We hebben al technical controls"
Perfect! SAT complements, not replaces:
- Email filters catch 90% → humans catch laatste 10%
- Zero-day threats bypass tech → humans detect anomalies
- Layered defense = tech + process + people
Building your business case
Template for leadership buy-in
**Security Awareness Training Proposal**
1. PROBLEM STATEMENT
- Current phishing susceptibility: X%
- Industry average breach cost: €1.5M
- Compliance requirements: NIS2, GDPR
2. PROPOSED SOLUTION
- Platform: AmiPhished
- Timeline: 12 months
- Methodology: Monthly sims + microlearning
3. INVESTMENT
- Year 1: €X
- Year 2+: €Y (reduced setup costs)
4. EXPECTED ROI
- Risk reduction: Z%
- Cost avoidance: €A
- Compliance benefits: €B
- ROI: X%
5. SUCCESS METRICS
- Click rate minder dan 8%
- Reporting rate meer dan 40%
- Zero successful real-world phishing
6. TIMELINE
- Month 1: Setup & baseline
- Month 2-12: Regular training
- Quarterly: Progress reviews
Conclusion: SAT is not a cost, it's an investment
The numbers don't lie:
✅ Average ROI: 165-500% (conservative estimates) ✅ Risk reduction: 80-90% (measured improvements) ✅ Payback period: 3-6 months (typical timeframe) ✅ Compliance benefits: Invaluable (avoid fines)
The real question isn't "Can we afford SAT?"
It's "Can we afford NOT to do SAT?"
Next steps
- Assess current state: Baseline phishing test
- Calculate your risk: Expected annual loss
- Build business case: Use template above
- Get buy-in: Present to leadership
- Start training: The sooner, the better
Start vandaag met AmiPhished
Gratis ROI assessment voor jouw organisatie:
- Baseline phishing simulation
- Risk calculation
- Custom business case
- Implementation roadmap
Bronnen & Methodologie:
- Data: 153 Dutch organizations, 12-24 months AmiPhished usage
- IBM Cost of Data Breach Report 2024
- Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report 2024
- SANS Security Awareness Report 2024
- Industry benchmarks: KnowBe4, Proofpoint, Mimecast

