MARKET RESEARCH

The (Higher) Business Cost of Phishing

Three years ago, Osterman Research put a price on phishing. Then ChatGPT launched.

Based on survey data from 128 IT and security professionals at mid-to-large organizations, this report tracks how the phishing burden has changed since 2022, what AI has done to both sides of the fight, and what it will cost you if defenses don't keep pace.

Key Findings:

  • Phishing Now Costs $51,948 Per Analyst
    That's a 13.6% jump since 2022. The full breakdown by role is in the report.
  • The AI Paradox Hit Defenders Hard
    Per-incident handling got faster. Aggregate hours got worse. The report explains why.
  • Phishing Concern Has Climbed (even further)
    Half of organizations now rate phishing as a high or extreme threat. In 2022, it was one third.
  • Deepfakes Have Moved from Theoretical to Disruptive
    62.5% of organizations expect deepfakes to significantly increase phishing response time.
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Osterman (higher) Business Cost of Phishing 2026

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Augustine Boateng

Interim Chief Information Officer, City of Memphis

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In employees clicking malicious links and attachments

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Dead In Their Tracks.

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