Over 95% of cybersecurity breaches occur as a result of human error.

The average cyber attack takes 280 days to identify and contain and it costs an average of about $3.86 million to deal with properly.

In 2024, the number of data compromises in the United States stood at 3,158 cases. Meanwhile, over 1.35 billion individuals were affected in the same year by data compromises, including data breaches, leakage, and exposure. While these are three different events, they have one thing in common. As a result of all three incidents, the sensitive data is accessed by an unauthorized threat actor. Industries most vulnerable to data breaches Some industry sectors usually see more significant cases of private data violations than others. This is determined by the type and volume of the personal information organizations of these sectors store. In 2024 the financial services, healthcare, and professional services were the three industry sectors that recorded most data breaches. Overall, the number of healthcare data breaches in some industry sectors in the United States has gradually increased within the past few years. However, some sectors saw decrease. Largest data exposures worldwide In 2020, an adult streaming website, CAM4, experienced a leakage of nearly 11 billion records. This, by far, is the most extensive reported data leakage. This case, though, is unique because cyber security researchers found the vulnerability before the cyber criminals. The second-largest data breach is the Yahoo data breach, dating back to 2013. The company first reported about one billion exposed records, then later, in 2017, came up with an updated number of leaked records, which was three billion. In March 2018, the third biggest data breach happened, involving India’s national identification database Aadhaar. As a result of this incident, over 1.1 billion records were exposed.

As of January 2024, about ** percent of organizations in the United Kingdom reported experiencing a data breach accident once a month. A further ** percent said they had encountered a data breach event less than once a month in the past 12 months. Meanwhile, ** percent said they had experienced a data breach incident once a week.

schooly/Cyber-Security-Breaches dataset hosted on Hugging Face and contributed by the HF Datasets community

As of 2024, the average cost of a data breach in the United States amounted to **** million U.S. dollars, down from **** million U.S. dollars in the previous year. The global average cost per data breach was **** million U.S. dollars in 2024. Cost of a data breach in different countries worldwide Data breaches impose a big threat for organizations globally. The monetary damage caused by data breaches has increased in many markets in the past decade. In 2023, Canada followed the U.S. by data breach costs, with an average of **** million U.S. dollars. Since 2019, the average monetary damage caused by loss of sensitive information in Canada has increased notably. In the United Kingdom, the average cost of a data breach in 2024 amounted to around **** million U.S. dollars, while in Germany it stood at **** million U.S. dollars. The cost of data breach by industry and segment Data breach costs vary depending on the industry and segment. For the fourth consecutive year, the global healthcare sector registered the highest costs of data breach, which in 2024 amounted to about **** million U.S. dollars. Financial institutions ranked second, with an average cost of *** million U.S. dollars for a data breach. Detection and escalation was the costliest segment in data breaches worldwide, with **** U.S. dollars on average. The cost for lost business ranked second, while response following a breach came across as the third-costliest segment.

Did the COVID-19 pandemic really affect cybersecurity? Short answer – Yes. Cybercrime is up 600% due to COVID-19.

The Cyber Security Breaches Survey, 2022 (CSBS) was run to understand organisations' approaches and attitudes to cyber security, and to understand their experience of cyber security breaches. The aim of the survey was to support the Government by providing evidence that can inform policies which help to make Britain a safer place to do business online. Details of changes for the 2022 survey can be found in the Technical Annex documentation.

These surveys have been conducted annually since 2016 to understand the views of UK organisations on cyber security. Data are collected on topics including online use; attitudes of organisations to cyber security and awareness of Government initiatives; approaches to cyber security (including investment and processes); incidences and impact of a cyber security breach or attack; and how breaches are dealt with by the organisation. This information helps to inform Government policy towards organisations, including how best to target key messages to businesses and charities so that they are cyber secure (and so that the UK is the safest place in the world to do business online). The study is funded by the DCMS as part of the National Cyber Security Programme.

The underlying data are useful for researchers to better understand the response across a range of organisations and for wider comparability over time. The survey originally only covered businesses but was expanded to include charities from the 2018 survey onwards. From 2020, the survey includes a sample of education institutions (primary and secondary schools, further and higher education). Please note that the UK Data Service only holds data from 2018 onwards.

Further information and additional publications can be found on the GOV.UK Cyber Security Breaches Survey, 2022 webpage.

During the second quarter of 2025, data breaches exposed more than ** million records worldwide. Since the first quarter of 2020, the highest number of data records were exposed in the third quarter of ****, more than *** billion data sets. Data breaches remain among the biggest concerns of company leaders worldwide. The most common causes of sensitive information loss were operating system vulnerabilities on endpoint devices. Which industries see the most data breaches? Meanwhile, certain conditions make some industry sectors more prone to data breaches than others. According to the latest observations, the public administration experienced the highest number of data breaches between 2021 and 2022. The industry saw *** reported data breach incidents with confirmed data loss. The second were financial institutions, with *** data breach cases, followed by healthcare providers. Data breach cost Data breach incidents have various consequences, the most common impact being financial losses and business disruptions. As of 2023, the average data breach cost across businesses worldwide was **** million U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, a leaked data record cost about *** U.S. dollars. The United States saw the highest average breach cost globally, at **** million U.S. dollars.

These cybersecurity statistics will help you understand the state of online security and give you a better idea of what it takes to protect yourself.

Data Breaches Dataset

30,000 Records of cyber-security data breaches

About this dataset

This dataset is a compilation of data from various sources detailing data breaches. These sources include press reports, government news releases, and mainstream news articles. The list includes those involving the theft or compromise of 30,000 or more records, although many smaller breaches occur continually. In addition, the various methods used in the breaches are listed, with hacking being the most common.

Organizations of all types and sizes are susceptible to data breaches, which can have devastating consequences. This dataset can help shed light on which organizations are most at risk and how these breaches occur so that steps can be taken to prevent them in the future

How to use the dataset

There are many ways to use this dataset. Here are a few ideas:

• Use the data to understand which types of organizations are most commonly breached, and what methods are used most often.
• Analyze the data to see if there are any trends or patterns in when or how breaches occur.
• Use the data to create a visualizations or infographic showing the prevalence of data breaches

Research Ideas

• This dataset can be used to identify trends in data breaches in terms of methods used, types of organizations breached, and geographical distribution.

• This dataset can be used to study the effect of data breaches on organizational reputation and customer trust.

• This dataset can be used by organizations to benchmark their own security measures against those of similar organizations that have experienced data breaches

Acknowledgements

License

License: CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) - Public Domain Dedication No Copyright - You can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. See Other Information.

Columns

File: df_1.csv | Column name | Description | |:----------------------|:---------------------------------------------------------------------| | Entity | The name of the organization that was breached. (String) | | Year | The year when the breach occurred. (Integer) | | Records | The number of records that were compromised in the breach. (Integer) | | Organization type | The type of organization that was breached. (String) | | Method | The method that was used to breach the organization. (String) | | Sources | The sources from which the data was collected. (String) |

The largest reported data leakage as of January 2025 was the Cam4 data breach in March 2020, which exposed more than 10 billion data records. The second-largest data breach in history so far, the Yahoo data breach, occurred in 2013. The company initially reported about one billion exposed data records, but after an investigation, the company updated the number, revealing that three billion accounts were affected. The National Public Data Breach was announced in August 2024. The incident became public when personally identifiable information of individuals became available for sale on the dark web. Overall, the security professionals estimate the leakage of nearly three billion personal records. The next significant data leakage was the March 2018 security breach of India's national ID database, Aadhaar, with over 1.1 billion records exposed. This included biometric information such as identification numbers and fingerprint scans, which could be used to open bank accounts and receive financial aid, among other government services.

Cybercrime - the dark side of digitalization As the world continues its journey into the digital age, corporations and governments across the globe have been increasing their reliance on technology to collect, analyze and store personal data. This, in turn, has led to a rise in the number of cyber crimes, ranging from minor breaches to global-scale attacks impacting billions of users – such as in the case of Yahoo. Within the U.S. alone, 1802 cases of data compromise were reported in 2022. This was a marked increase from the 447 cases reported a decade prior. The high price of data protection As of 2022, the average cost of a single data breach across all industries worldwide stood at around 4.35 million U.S. dollars. This was found to be most costly in the healthcare sector, with each leak reported to have cost the affected party a hefty 10.1 million U.S. dollars. The financial segment followed closely behind. Here, each breach resulted in a loss of approximately 6 million U.S. dollars - 1.5 million more than the global average.

Some industries are affected by cyber attacks more than others. These next cybersecurity statistics detail specifically who is affected by cyber-attacks and why they are.

Data breaches cost companies and businesses a lot of money. The average cost of a data breach is $3.86 million.

View Data Breach Notification Reports, which include how many breaches are reported each year and the number of affected residents.

The Cyber Security Breaches Survey, 2021 (CSBS) was run to understand organisations' approaches and attitudes to cyber security, and to understand their experience of cyber security breaches, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the survey was to support the Government by providing evidence that can inform policies which help to make Britain a safer place to do business online. Details of changes for the 2021 survey can be found in the Technical Annex documentation.

These surveys have been conducted annually since 2016 to understand the views of UK organisations on cyber security. Data are collected on topics including online use; attitudes of organisations to cyber security and awareness of Government initiatives; approaches to cyber security (including investment and processes); incidences and impact of a cyber security breach or attack; and how breaches are dealt with by the organisation. This information helps to inform Government policy towards organisations, including how best to target key messages to businesses and charities so that they are cyber secure (and so that the UK is the safest place in the world to do business online). The study is funded by the DCMS as part of the National Cyber Security Programme.

The underlying data are useful for researchers to better understand the response across a range of organisations and for wider comparability over time. The survey originally only covered businesses but was expanded to include charities from the 2018 survey onwards. From 2020, the survey includes a sample of education institutions (primary and secondary schools, further and higher education). Please note that the UK Data Service only holds data from 2018 onwards.

Further information and additional publications can be found on the "http://GOV.UK" target="_blank"> GOV.UK Cyber Security Breaches Survey, 2021 webpage.

As of February 2024, the United States ranked first by the average cost of a data breach, **** million U.S. dollars. The average cost of data breaches in the Middle East is **** million U.S. dollars. Benelux followed in the ranking, with *** million U.S. dollars. In the measured period, the global average data breach cost was **** million U.S. dollars. Phishing scams in the U.S. Breached data often ends up in the hands of threat actors who use it for malicious purposes, including online scams. Phishing continues to be a major threat in North America, particularly on smartphones. In the second quarter of 2023, the region recorded the highest number of phishing and malicious attack attempts globally. The United States was particularly affected, with ** percent of U.S. citizens reporting being targeted by scam texts, e-mails, and calls on a daily basis. Additionally, phishing and spoofing were the most common types of cybercrime, impacting *** thousand individuals in 2023. These attacks led to financial losses, with U.S. victims reporting nearly ** billion U.S. dollars in damages throughout the year. U.S. users and data privacy Despite only ** percent of internet users in the United States being highly knowledgeable about data privacy and cybersecurity, a significant portion of users demonstrated caution and awareness in protecting their information. In fact, over half of surveyed U.S. users reported being somewhat confident in knowing the right steps to take in the event of a cyberattack. Furthermore, ** percent of U.S. users actively decline cookies on websites, reflecting their increasing concern for data protection. Many respondents also take additional steps to safeguard their digital privacy, such as limiting or avoiding clicking on ads as well as not answering phone calls due to cybersecurity risks.

Snapshot img

Cybersecurity Services Market Size 2024-2028

The cybersecurity services market size is forecast to increase by USD 49 billion at a CAGR of 9.23% between 2023 and 2028. The market is experiencing significant growth due to several key drivers. The increasing number of data breaches and cyber-attacks has heightened the awareness and importance of cybersecurity, leading to an increase in demand for these services. Another trend in the market is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies to enhance threat detection and response capabilities. However, the high cost of implementing cybersecurity services remains a challenge for many organizations, particularly smaller businesses and governments with limited budgets. Despite this, the market is expected to continue growing as businesses recognize the need for cybersecurity to protect their valuable digital assets.

What will be the Size of the Market During the Forecast Period?

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The market is witnessing significant growth due to the increasing reliance on digital technologies and the subsequent rise in cyber threats. With the proliferation of cloud computing, remote work, and digital transactions, enterprises across various sectors including banking, financial services, healthcare, e-commerce platforms, and critical infrastructure are increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. Digital technologies have revolutionized the way businesses operate, enabling them to offer new services and reach wider audiences. However, they also introduce new risks. Cybersecurity risks, such as malicious attacks, are a major concern for organizations, particularly those dealing with sensitive data.

Moreover, the energy sector and critical infrastructure are also at risk from physical threats that can have digital consequences. Advanced security solutions are essential to mitigate these risks. AI and machine learning technologies are being increasingly adopted to enhance cybersecurity capabilities. Risk-based security approaches are becoming the norm, with organizations prioritizing resources to protect their most valuable assets. The shift to remote work has further complicated cybersecurity efforts. With employees working from home, the traditional perimeter security model is no longer sufficient. Organizations must ensure their networks and data are secure, regardless of where their employees are located. The cybersecurity skills gap is another challenge.

Similarly, with the increasing complexity of cyber threats, there is a growing demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals. Organizations must invest in training and development to ensure they have the necessary expertise in-house. In conclusion, the market is crucial in helping organizations navigate the digital landscape and protect against cyber threats. The market is expected to grow as businesses continue to adopt digital technologies and as cybercriminals become more sophisticated in their attacks. Organizations must prioritize cybersecurity to safeguard their assets and maintain customer trust.

Market Segmentation

The market research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD billion' for the period 2024-2028, as well as historical data from 2018-2022 for the following segments.

Deployment

  On-premises
  Cloud based


End-user

  Government
  BFSI
  ICT
  Manufacturing
  Others


Geography

  North America

    Canada
    US


  APAC

    China
    India
    Japan
    South Korea


  Europe

    Germany
    UK
    France


  Middle East and Africa



  South America

By Deployment Insights

The on-premises segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period. On-premises cybersecurity services offer organizations advanced security solutions to safeguard their infrastructure from cyberattacks. These solutions are installed and managed within an organization's own physical environment, providing a high degree of control and customization. With on-premises cybersecurity, businesses can fine-tune security configurations, set up strict access controls, and maintain direct supervision over their security operations. This level of control is essential for industries with stringent regulatory requirements, sensitive data handling policies, or unique security considerations. Machine Learning (ML) and threat detection technologies are increasingly being integrated into on-premises cybersecurity solutions to enhance their capabilities. Cloud security services are also becoming a significant component of on-premises cybersecurity offerings, allowing organizations to extend their security perimeter to the cloud. The demand for cybersecurity professionals is at an all-time high due to the increasing number of cyberattacks.

However, there is a significant cyber talent shortage, making it challen