Proofpoint Report: SAT Investment Up, Effectiveness Down
A recent report, 'Mind the Gap: SAT in 2025' by Proofpoint, reveals a worrying disparity between investment in Security Awareness Training (SAT) and its effectiveness in reducing human error-driven incidents. Despite a 93% increase in SAT budgets over the past three years, 94% of organisations surveyed witnessed a rise in such incidents during the same period.
The report highlights that 93% of administrators believe their SAT programme is effective, yet 57% acknowledge that improved employee awareness could have prevented most or nearly all incidents. Similarly, 88% of employees feel their training is effective, but 44% of administrators admit their programme content is often or always outdated or irrelevant.
Managing legacy SAT programmes is also an operational challenge. 61% of administrators spend 10 or more hours each month on these activities, with 72% considering it a burden. This is further compounded by a prevalent reliance on generalist-developed materials, despite learners preferring up-to-date, engaging, and relevant training that reflects current cyber risks.
Experts agree that annual security awareness training alone is ineffective in reducing incidents like phishing, as discussed at Black Hat USA 2025. This suggests a need for more regular, relevant, and effective training without creating additional internal management overhead. SafeBreach, a company offering a potential solution, aims to close these gaps in current SAT programmes.
The 'Mind the Gap: SAT in 2025' report by Proofpoint underscores the urgent need for organisations to reevaluate their SAT strategies. Despite increased investment, the effectiveness of current programmes is questionable. Managed, expert-backed SAT solutions could provide more regular, relevant, and effective training, helping to reduce human error-driven incidents and improve overall cybersecurity.
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