Application security ROI: calculating the financial impact of an undetected flaw
> TL;DR: How much does an undetected security flaw cost? ROI calculation to convince your board.
The real cost of a flaw
Average data breach cost for SMB: €120,000-€1.24M (IBM 2025).
Cost breakdown
ROI calculation
Full audit cost: €4,200.
Average cost avoided: €120,000 minimum.
ROI = 28× the audit cost.
The argument for your board
Don't present security as a cost. Present it as insurance with 28× ROI.
Key Takeaways
Building software? CleanIssue performs security audits for your product in real-world conditions, no source code access needed. For a first read of your exposure, start with an external review of your application.
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Sources
Editorial analysis based on official vendor, project, and regulator documentation.
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