During the fourth quarter of 2024, nearly 23 percent of phishing attacks worldwide targeted social media. Web-based software services and webmail were targeted by over 23 percent of registered phishing attacks. Furthermore, financial institutions accounted for 12 percent of attacks.

Introduction

Phishing Statistics: Phishing is a kind of cyberattack in which criminals try to fool people into sharing personal information such as passwords or credit card numbers, often by pretending to be a trusted company or person through fake emails, websites, or messages. Phishing has become more common as many people use the Internet for banking, shopping, and communication.

In 2024, phishing attacks are a major threat to both individuals and businesses. Criminals are using more advanced techniques, and these attacks are costing billions of dollars globally. People need to stay aware and cautious online to avoid falling victim to these scams.

In 2024, over 193,000 individuals in the United States reported encountering phishing attacks. This figure had decreased compared to the previous year, when the number of phishing attacks nationwide amounted to nearly 300,000. However, in 2020 and 2019, this number was relatively low, around 241 thousand and 114 thousand, respectively.

Phishing Protection Market Outlook

The global phishing protection market size was valued at approximately USD 900 million in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 2.4 billion by 2032, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.5% from 2024 to 2032. The growth of this market is fueled by the escalating volume and sophistication of phishing attacks, coupled with increasing awareness about cybersecurity among organizations across various industries.

One of the significant growth factors driving the phishing protection market is the increasing number of cyberattacks targeting both individuals and organizations. Phishing attacks have become more sophisticated, making it crucial for businesses to invest in advanced protection measures. The rise in spear-phishing, where attackers target specific individuals within an organization, has heightened the need for robust phishing protection solutions. Moreover, the financial and reputational damage caused by successful phishing attacks is pushing organizations to adopt comprehensive security solutions, thereby driving market growth.

Another critical factor contributing to the market's expansion is the growing regulatory landscape around data protection and cybersecurity. Governments and regulatory bodies across the globe are implementing stringent regulations to ensure data security and protect consumer information. Compliance with regulations such as GDPR in Europe, CCPA in California, and other data protection laws worldwide necessitates the deployment of advanced phishing protection solutions. Organizations must adhere to these regulations to avoid hefty fines and legal repercussions, further propelling the adoption of phishing protection services and software.

The increasing adoption of digital transformation strategies by enterprises is also a significant driver of market growth. As businesses migrate their operations to cloud platforms and adopt new technologies, they become more vulnerable to cyber threats, including phishing attacks. The shift towards remote work and the integration of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies have expanded the attack surface for cybercriminals. Consequently, organizations are prioritizing investments in phishing protection solutions to safeguard their digital assets and maintain business continuity in a highly digitized environment.

In addition to phishing attacks, organizations are increasingly facing threats from credential stuffing, a type of cyberattack where attackers use automated tools to try multiple username and password combinations to gain unauthorized access to user accounts. This has led to a growing demand for Credential Stuffing Protection solutions, which are designed to detect and block such attempts. These solutions often employ advanced techniques such as behavioral analytics and machine learning to identify suspicious login activities and prevent unauthorized access. As businesses continue to digitize their operations and store sensitive data online, the need for robust Credential Stuffing Protection measures becomes even more critical. By implementing these solutions, organizations can safeguard their user accounts and maintain trust with their customers.

Regionally, North America is anticipated to dominate the phishing protection market during the forecast period, owing to the high incidence of cyberattacks and the presence of leading cybersecurity companies. Europe is also expected to witness significant growth, driven by stringent data protection regulations and increasing cyber threats. The Asia Pacific region is projected to exhibit the highest CAGR, fueled by rapid digitalization, increasing internet penetration, and growing awareness about cybersecurity threats. Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa are also expected to contribute to the market's growth, albeit at a slower pace compared to other regions.

Component Analysis

The phishing protection market is segmented by components into software and services. The software segment is expected to hold a significant share of the market, as organizations increasingly rely on advanced software solutions to detect and prevent phishing attacks. Software solutions typically include email filtering, URL filtering, and anti-phishing tools that help identify and block malicious content. Moreover, the continuous advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence are enhancing the capabilities of phishing protection software, making them more effective in ide

The dataset 1 contains the age, qualification level, their awareness about phishing and if they became victim to phishing. The dataset 1 contains the result to detection rate before awareness and briefing of phishing after a successful spear phishing.

The dataset 2 contains the age, qualification level, their awareness about phishing and if they became victim to phishing. The dataset 2 contains the result to detection rate after awareness and briefing of phishing after a successful smishing.

The phishing simulation market is experiencing robust growth, driven by the escalating sophistication of phishing attacks and the increasing regulatory pressure on organizations to enhance their cybersecurity posture. The market, currently valued at approximately $1.5 billion in 2025 (estimated based on typical market sizes for cybersecurity segments with similar growth rates), is projected to experience a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15% from 2025 to 2033. This expansion is fueled by several key factors. Firstly, the rising frequency and success rate of phishing campaigns targeting both large enterprises and SMEs necessitate proactive security measures like simulation training. Secondly, evolving attack vectors and techniques demand continuous adaptation and improvement in security awareness programs, creating a sustained demand for advanced phishing simulation solutions. Thirdly, stringent data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA are imposing significant penalties for data breaches resulting from successful phishing attacks, motivating organizations to invest heavily in preventative measures including simulation-based training. The market segmentation reveals a significant share held by software-based solutions, owing to their scalability, ease of deployment, and cost-effectiveness. However, the service segment is also experiencing strong growth due to the increasing need for expert guidance and managed services in designing and implementing effective phishing simulation programs. Geographically, North America currently dominates the market, followed by Europe, reflecting the high level of cybersecurity awareness and regulatory compliance in these regions. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to exhibit the highest growth rate over the forecast period, driven by increasing digital adoption and rising awareness of cybersecurity threats in developing economies. While the market faces certain restraints, such as the need for specialized expertise and the potential for high implementation costs, the overall growth trajectory remains positive, driven by the overwhelming need to combat the ever-evolving threat landscape of phishing attacks.

A partial dataset and document-term matrix of phishing emails targeting an institution of higher education and an associated script used for data analysis.

This dataset contains a collection of legitimate and phishing websites, along with information on the target brands (brands.csv) being impersonated in the phishing attacks. The dataset includes a total of 10,395 websites, 5,244 of which are legitimate and 5,151 of which are phishing websites. These websites impersonate a total of 86 different target brands.

For phishing datasets, the files can be downloaded in a zip file with a "phishing" prefix, while for legitimate websites, the files can be downloaded in a zip file with a "not-phishing" prefix.

In addition, the dataset includes features such as screenshots, text, CSS, and HTML structure for each website, as well as domain information (WHOIS data), IP information, and SSL information. Each website is labeled as either legitimate or phishing and includes additional metadata such as the date it was discovered, the target brand being impersonated, and any other relevant information.

The dataset has been curated for research purposes and can be used to analyze the effectiveness of phishing attacks, develop and evaluate anti-phishing solutions, and identify trends and patterns in phishing attacks. It is hoped that this dataset will contribute to the advancement of research in the field of cybersecurity and help improve our understanding of phishing attacks.

The phishing protection market is experiencing robust growth, driven by the escalating sophistication and frequency of phishing attacks targeting individuals and organizations across diverse sectors. The increasing reliance on digital platforms for banking, e-commerce, and communication has created a fertile ground for cybercriminals, necessitating robust security measures. The market's expansion is fueled by several key factors, including the rising adoption of cloud-based security solutions, the proliferation of mobile devices, and the increasing awareness of phishing threats among both individuals and businesses. Furthermore, stringent government regulations concerning data privacy and security are compelling organizations to invest heavily in advanced phishing protection technologies. While the BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance) sector remains a significant adopter, growth is also observed across other sectors like healthcare, government, and telecommunications, due to their sensitive data assets and heightened regulatory scrutiny. The market is segmented by application (BFSI, Government, Healthcare, Telecommunications and IT, Transportation, Education, Retail) and type of phishing (email-based, non-email-based), each presenting unique opportunities for specialized solutions. Companies like Cyren, BAE Systems, Microsoft, FireEye, Symantec, Proofpoint, GreatHorn, Cisco, Phishlabs, Intel, and Mimecast are key players, constantly innovating to counter evolving phishing tactics. The market's growth trajectory is projected to remain positive over the forecast period (2025-2033), although challenges remain. These include the ever-evolving nature of phishing techniques, the difficulty in detecting sophisticated attacks, and the ongoing skills gap in cybersecurity expertise. Despite these obstacles, the market’s future looks promising, spurred by continuous advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies which enhance threat detection and response capabilities. The increasing adoption of multi-layered security solutions, incorporating phishing protection alongside other security measures, further contributes to the overall market growth. The geographical distribution of the market indicates strong growth in North America and Europe, while the Asia-Pacific region is poised for significant expansion in the coming years, driven by increasing internet penetration and digitalization.

Problem Statement

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Organizations face an increasing number of sophisticated cybersecurity threats, including malware, phishing attacks, and unauthorized access. A financial institution experienced frequent attempts to breach its network, risking sensitive data and regulatory compliance. Traditional security measures were reactive and failed to detect threats in real time. The institution sought a proactive AI-driven solution to identify and prevent cybersecurity threats effectively.

Challenge

Developing an advanced threat detection system required addressing several challenges:

Processing and analyzing large volumes of network traffic and user activity data in real time.

Identifying new and evolving threats, such as zero-day vulnerabilities, with high accuracy.

Minimizing false positives to ensure security teams could focus on genuine threats.

Solution Provided

An AI-powered threat detection system was developed using machine learning algorithms and advanced analytics. The solution was designed to:

Continuously monitor network activity and user behavior to identify suspicious patterns.

Detect and neutralize cybersecurity threats in real time, including malware and phishing attempts.

Provide actionable insights to security teams for faster and more effective threat response.

Development Steps

Data Collection

Collected network traffic logs, endpoint activity, and historical threat data to train machine learning models.

Preprocessing

Cleaned and standardized data, ensuring compatibility across diverse sources, and filtered out noise for accurate analysis.

Model Development

Developed machine learning algorithms for anomaly detection, behavioral analysis, and threat classification. Trained models on labeled datasets to recognize known threats and identify emerging attack patterns.

Validation

Tested the system against simulated and real-world threat scenarios to evaluate detection accuracy, response times, and reliability.

Deployment

Integrated the threat detection system into the institution’s existing cybersecurity infrastructure, including firewalls, SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) tools, and endpoint protection

Continuous Monitoring & Improvement

Established a feedback loop to refine models using new threat data and adapt to evolving attack strategies.

Results

Enhanced Security Posture

The system improved the institution’s ability to detect and prevent cybersecurity threats proactively, strengthening its overall security framework.

Reduced Incidence of Cyber Attacks

Real-time detection and response significantly reduced the frequency and impact of successful cyber attacks.

Improved Threat Response Times

Automated threat identification and prioritization enabled security teams to respond faster and more effectively to potential breaches.

Minimized False Positives

Advanced algorithms reduced false alarms, allowing security teams to focus on genuine threats and improve efficiency.

Scalable and Adaptive Solution

The system adapted to new threats and scaled effortlessly to protect growing organizational networks and data.

1) Data Introduction • The Email Phishing Dataset is designed for phishing email detection using machine learning.

2) Data Utilization (1) Email Phishing Dataset has characteristics that: • All emails were refined and subjected to a custom NLP feature extraction pipeline focused on phishing metrics. • This dataset contains no raw text or headers, only features engineered for model training/testing. (2) Email Phishing Dataset can be used to: • Developing an email detection model: It can be used to train and evaluate AI models that classify normal mail and phishing mail using various characteristics such as email body, subject, and sender. • E-mail security policy and threat analysis research: Analyzing real phishing cases and normal email data to derive the characteristics of phishing attacks, and use them to establish effective email security policies and develop threat response strategies.

This API is providing the information of press releases issued by the authorized institutions and other similar press releases issued by the HKMA in the past regarding fraudulent bank websites, phishing E-mails and similar scams information.

PhiUSIIL Phishing URL Dataset is a substantial dataset comprising 134,850 legitimate and 100,945 phishing URLs. Most of the URLs we analyzed while constructing the dataset are the latest URLs. Features are extracted from the source code of the webpage and URL. Features such as CharContinuationRate, URLTitleMatchScore, URLCharProb, and TLDLegitimateProb are derived from existing features.

Citation: Prasad, A., & Chandra, S. (2023). PhiUSIIL: A diverse security profile empowered phishing URL detection framework based on similarity index and incremental learning. Computers & Security, 103545. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cose.2023.103545

Phishing Simulation Market Outlook

According to our latest research, the global phishing simulation market size reached USD 1.38 billion in 2024, and is expected to grow at a robust Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.9% during the forecast period, reaching USD 4.19 billion by 2033. This remarkable growth is primarily driven by the increasing sophistication of phishing attacks, the rising awareness among organizations regarding cybersecurity threats, and the growing emphasis on employee security training. As organizations continue to digitize their operations and remote work becomes more prevalent, the need for advanced phishing simulation solutions has never been greater. The demand for comprehensive security awareness programs is further fueling market expansion, as enterprises seek to minimize the risk of data breaches and financial losses associated with phishing.

One of the most significant growth factors propelling the phishing simulation market is the increasing frequency and complexity of phishing attacks targeting organizations of all sizes. Cybercriminals are leveraging advanced tactics such as spear phishing, business email compromise, and social engineering to bypass traditional security defenses. In response, organizations are adopting phishing simulation tools to proactively test and train their employees, identifying vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning in phishing simulation platforms is further enhancing their effectiveness, enabling real-time threat detection and personalized training modules. As a result, companies are able to significantly reduce the likelihood of successful phishing attempts, which translates into substantial cost savings and improved organizational resilience.

Another crucial driver for the phishing simulation market is the increasing regulatory pressure on organizations to comply with data protection and cybersecurity standards. Regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and other regional data security mandates require organizations to implement robust security awareness training programs. Phishing simulation solutions play a vital role in fulfilling these compliance requirements by providing measurable and auditable training outcomes. The growing emphasis on risk management and the need to demonstrate due diligence to regulators and stakeholders are prompting organizations across sectors such as BFSI, healthcare, and government to invest heavily in phishing simulation platforms, thereby boosting market growth.

The rapid adoption of cloud-based technologies and the proliferation of remote and hybrid work environments have also contributed significantly to the expansion of the phishing simulation market. As employees access corporate resources from various locations and devices, the attack surface for cybercriminals expands dramatically. Organizations are increasingly leveraging cloud-based phishing simulation solutions to ensure consistent training and threat assessment across distributed workforces. These platforms offer scalability, ease of deployment, and integration with existing security infrastructures, making them highly attractive to enterprises of all sizes. Furthermore, the evolution of phishing simulation tools to address mobile and social engineering threats is expanding their applicability, ensuring that organizations remain protected in an ever-changing digital landscape.

From a regional perspective, North America continues to dominate the phishing simulation market, accounting for the largest share in 2024, followed by Europe and the Asia Pacific region. The strong presence of leading cybersecurity vendors, high adoption rates of advanced security solutions, and stringent regulatory frameworks are key factors contributing to North America’s leadership. Europe is experiencing steady growth, driven by increasing investments in cybersecurity infrastructure and compliance with data protection regulations. Meanwhile, the Asia Pacific region is witnessing the fastest growth, fueled by rapid digital transformation, rising cyber threats, and an expanding base of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) seeking affordable and scalable phishing simulation solutions. Latin America and the Middle East & Africa are also emerging as promising markets, albeit at a relatively nascent stage, as organizations in these regions gradually

The spear phishing market is experiencing robust growth, driven by the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks and the expanding digital landscape. While precise market sizing data is unavailable, considering the substantial investments in cybersecurity and the consistent rise in reported phishing incidents, a reasonable estimate for the 2025 market size would be in the range of $5-7 billion. This figure reflects the rising costs associated with data breaches, regulatory fines, and the increasing demand for advanced threat detection and response solutions. A Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12-15% over the forecast period (2025-2033) is plausible, considering ongoing technological advancements in spear phishing techniques and the corresponding need for robust countermeasures. Key drivers include the growth of remote work, increasing reliance on cloud services, and the evolving tactics employed by cybercriminals to target specific individuals and organizations. Trends point towards a greater focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in threat detection, as well as a shift towards proactive security measures and employee training programs to mitigate the impact of spear phishing attacks. However, restraints include the ever-evolving nature of spear phishing techniques, the persistent skills gap in cybersecurity professionals, and the potential for false positives in automated detection systems. Segmentation within the market is likely to exist based on solution type (e.g., email security, security awareness training), deployment model (cloud, on-premises), and target industry (financial services, healthcare, government). Companies like BAE Systems, Check Point Software Technologies, Cisco Systems, and Proofpoint are key players actively innovating and competing within this dynamic market. The significant market expansion is further fueled by the high financial stakes involved in successful spear phishing campaigns. The impact of successful attacks, including data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage, encourages organizations to invest heavily in comprehensive security solutions. The proliferation of sophisticated spear phishing techniques, such as personalized phishing emails and the use of social engineering, necessitates advanced detection and prevention technologies. The market's competitive landscape is characterized by both established cybersecurity vendors and emerging players who are constantly developing new solutions to combat the threat of spear phishing. The competitive dynamics will likely lead to further innovation and drive market growth in the coming years, enhancing the overall sophistication of spear phishing detection and prevention solutions.

Phishing is an attack where a scammer calls you, texts or emails you, or uses social media to trick you into clicking a malicious link, downloading malware, or sharing sensitive information. Phishing attempts are often generic mass messages, but the message appears to be legitimate and from a trusted source (e.g. from a bank, courier company).

IntroductionThe rapid growth of advanced networking causes a significant increase in malicious threats to website data for accessing user information via phishing attacks. For the detection of phishing attacks, many works are developed based on a single data source. But, detecting the phishing attacks of different web sources was not concentrated in any of the existing works. Thus, multiple data sources, including SMS, E-Mail, and URL links, are used in this paper to detect and mitigate phishing attacks.MethodsInitially, the input data is collected from the SMS, E-Mail, and URL datasets. The contents and URLs are extracted from the datasets. Next, the textual analysis, including behavioral analysis and structural analysis, is carried out on the extracted URL. Moreover, by utilizing the Entropy Macqueen-based Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (EM-BERT) algorithm, the contents extracted from SMS and E-Mail datasets and the textually analyzed characters of the URL are transformed into vector form. Simultaneously, the CSS files and images are obtained from the URL dataset. Then, by utilizing Spherical Principal Component Analysis (SPCA), the features are extracted. Further, the optimal features are chosen by using the Cauchy distribution-based Seagull Optimization Algorithm (CSOA). Next, the phishing attack is detected using the Explainable AI SERF CoLU Long Short Term Memory (EAI-SC-LSTM) model. The recognized phishing data and URL are updated to the Blacklist; hence, any new URL, which is already on Blacklist, is reported to the user.ResultsAs per the experimental outcomes, the proposed EAI-SC-LSTM attains accuracies of 99.627% for SSC, 99.645% for PEC, and 99.541% for WPD in phishing attack detection, which are higher than the existing works. Moreover, the proposed technique detects the phishing attack within a training time of 24417 ms (PEC Dataset).DiscussionThus, cybersecurity is improved against the evolving phishing threats.

Spear Phishing Protection Market Outlook

The global spear phishing protection market size was valued at approximately USD 1.4 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to reach around USD 3.8 billion by 2032, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 11.5% during the forecast period. This robust growth trajectory can be largely attributed to the increasing sophistication and frequency of spear phishing attacks, which are driving organizations across various sectors to invest in advanced protection solutions. As businesses become more digital, the attack surfaces expand, making them more vulnerable to such targeted cyber threats. Furthermore, the evolution of cyber threats, alongside stringent regulatory requirements for data protection, is pushing enterprises to adopt comprehensive spear phishing protection strategies.

The growth of the spear phishing protection market is significantly driven by a heightened awareness of cybersecurity threats and the need for robust defense mechanisms. Spear phishing attacks, characterized by their targeted and personalized nature, have been growing in complexity, leading to severe financial losses and data breaches. Organizations are increasingly recognizing that traditional security measures are insufficient against these sophisticated attacks. As a result, there is a substantial uptick in the demand for specialized tools and services that offer real-time threat intelligence, advanced email filtering, and behavior analytics to preemptively identify and thwart potential phishing attempts. Moreover, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in cybersecurity solutions is transforming the spear phishing protection landscape, allowing for more adaptive and predictive threat identification.

Legislative requirements and compliance standards are also pivotal in propelling the market forward. Various governments and regulatory bodies have implemented stringent data protection laws that mandate organizations to have robust cybersecurity measures in place. Non-compliance can result in hefty fines and reputational damage, further emphasizing the need for effective spear phishing protection solutions. This regulatory environment is prompting organizations, especially those in highly regulated industries like banking and finance, healthcare, and government sectors, to prioritize their cybersecurity initiatives. Consequently, there is an increasing allocation of budgets towards enhancing cybersecurity infrastructure, with a significant portion dedicated to spear phishing protection.

The proliferation of remote work and digital transformation initiatives has further catalyzed the growth of the spear phishing protection market. With the widespread adoption of remote working models, employees are accessing corporate networks from various locations and devices, thereby expanding the attack surface for cybercriminals. This shift necessitates a reevaluation of existing cybersecurity strategies to include comprehensive measures against spear phishing attacks. Organizations are investing in cloud-based security solutions that offer scalability, flexibility, and real-time monitoring capabilities. Moreover, as digital transformation continues to accelerate across industries, there is an increasing reliance on digital communication tools, which are often targeted by spear phishing attacks, thus highlighting the critical need for effective protection measures.

Regionally, North America holds a substantial share of the spear phishing protection market, driven by the presence of major cybersecurity companies, a high rate of technology adoption, and stringent regulatory standards. The region's advanced IT infrastructure and significant investments in cybersecurity are key factors contributing to its dominance. Europe follows closely, with strong emphasis on data protection due to regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which mandates robust cybersecurity frameworks. The Asia Pacific region is expected to exhibit the highest growth rate during the forecast period, fueled by the rapid digitalization of economies, increasing cyber threats, and rising awareness about cybersecurity. Countries like China, India, and Japan are investing heavily in cybersecurity measures to protect their growing digital economies.

Component Analysis

The spear phishing protection market is segmented by component into solutions and services. Solutions encompass various technologies and software designed to detect, prevent, and mitigate spear phishing attacks. These solutions include advanced email security, endpoint protection, network security, thre

The network phishing simulator market is experiencing robust growth, driven by the escalating sophistication of phishing attacks and the increasing need for robust cybersecurity measures across organizations. The market, estimated at $2 billion in 2025, is projected to witness a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15% from 2025 to 2033, reaching an estimated $6 billion by 2033. This expansion is fueled by several key factors, including the rising adoption of cloud-based security solutions, the increasing frequency and severity of successful phishing attacks targeting employees, and the growing awareness among businesses of the financial and reputational damage caused by data breaches resulting from phishing. Furthermore, regulatory compliance requirements, especially concerning data privacy, are compelling organizations to invest heavily in advanced security solutions, including network phishing simulators, to mitigate risk and demonstrate due diligence. Major players such as Infosec, Hook Security, TitanHQ, ESET, IRONSCALES, Cofense, Hoxhunt, KnowBe4, Mimecast, Proofpoint, and Phished are actively competing in this dynamic market, offering diverse solutions catering to varying organizational needs and budgets. Market segmentation is likely based on deployment (cloud, on-premise), organization size (small, medium, large enterprises), and industry vertical (finance, healthcare, etc.). While the market enjoys significant growth potential, challenges remain, such as the ongoing evolution of phishing techniques and the need for continuous updates and improvements to simulator technology to maintain effectiveness against increasingly sophisticated attacks. The need for skilled personnel to manage and interpret the results of these simulations also presents a barrier to entry for some organizations.