Email security breaches pose significant risks for organisations in Southeast Asia.
According to the 2025 Email Security Breach Report, a staggering 78% of respondents experienced an email security incident in the past year. The implications are particularly dire, as organisations that take longer than nine hours to respond to these breaches face a 79% increased likelihood of suffering a ransomware attack.
Source: Barracuda Networks 2025
For CISOs in the region, these findings serve as a critical reminder of the vulnerabilities that email systems present. The average cost of recovering from a single email breach has skyrocketed to over $217,000, with smaller businesses particularly hard-hit. Companies with 50 to 100 employees incur costs averaging nearly $2,000 per employee, which can be devastating for organisations with limited resources.
The survey results reveal that not only do email breaches lead to financial losses, but they also significantly affect organisational reputation. About 41% of those affected reported reputational damage, and many noted lost business opportunities as a consequence.
Despite the clear threats, the report indicates that many organisations struggle with rapid incident detection and response. Respondents cited obstacles such as the increasing complexity of email threats, skills shortages, and a lack of automated incident response capabilities as key factors hindering their ability to act swiftly.
Only half of the surveyed organisations managed to detect breaches within an hour, underscoring the need for improved vigilance and preparedness.
"Email security is no longer just about stopping spam or mass phishing," noted Neal Bradbury, chief product officer at Barracuda. "It’s about preventing the first domino from falling in a cyberthreat chain that could end in operational paralysis, data loss, reputational damage, and longer-term business impacts."
For CISOs in Southeast Asia, these findings emphasise the importance of adopting a unified approach to cybersecurity, centered around a robust integrated security platform. As the threat landscape evolves, the ability to respond quickly and effectively to email breaches will be crucial for maintaining cyber resilience.
