As of June 2025, the most significant data breach incident in the United States was the Yahoo data breach that dates back to 2013-2016. Impacting over three billion online users, this incident still remains one of the most significant data breaches worldwide. The second-biggest case was the January 2021 data breach at Microsoft, involving about 30 thousand companies in the United States and around 60 thousand companies around the world.

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.

It started with a strange email. The kind you usually ignore. But for one midsize healthcare firm in Ohio, clicking that link changed everything. Within hours, sensitive patient records were encrypted, and hackers demanded payment in cryptocurrency. By the time IT figured out the breach, over 1.4 million records were...

As of February 2025, 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 was **** 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.

A survey conducted in the United Kingdom (UK) between August and December 2024, found that ** percent of companies needed additional staff time to deal with the breach or inform cutomers or stakeholders. Furthermore, ** percent of the companies needed to implement new measures for future attacks. Additionally, ** percent said the incident stopped the staff from carrying out daily work.

Introduction

Data Breaches Statistics: In recent years, data breaches have emerged as a major threat to both businesses and individuals. As the digital world grows, the frequency, scale, and impact of these breaches have surged, resulting in significant financial, reputational, and legal repercussions for organizations. The number of data breaches hit record highs, compromising millions of sensitive records.

This increase can be attributed to several factors, including rising cybercrime, inadequate data security practices, and the growing sophistication of hacking techniques. Data from cybersecurity experts reveal a notable rise in breaches within the healthcare, financial, and retail industries.

As the fallout from these breaches intensifies, it has become increasingly important for both businesses and consumers to understand the trends and scope of these incidents. This introduction will explore the latest statistics and developments, offering insights into the evolving landscape of data breaches and their wide-reaching effects.

Pay attention to the following cybersecurity statistics to learn how to protect yourself from attacks.

As of 2024, the average cost of a data breach in Canada was **** 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 as of 2024, up from **** million U.S. dollars recorded in 2023.

As of October 2023, the human element was involved in 68 percent of data breaches worldwide. Ransomware or extortion accounted for 32 percent, while errors contributed to 28 percent of incidents. Third-party factors, including software vulnerabilities, were involved in 15 percent of breaches.

Introduction

Cyber Security Statistics: Cybersecurity has become a top priority for organizations worldwide, driven by the escalating volume and complexity of cyber threats. As businesses increasingly adopt digital technologies, the risk of cyberattacks, such as data breaches, ransomware, and phishing, has risen, creating significant challenges for data privacy and security.

The increasing frequency of high-profile cyber incidents has exposed vulnerabilities in various sectors, prompting governments and organizations to enhance their cybersecurity measures. In response, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning are being integrated to enhance threat detection and response capabilities.

The following statistics offer a comprehensive overview of the cybersecurity landscape, shedding light on the trends, risks, and developments that are shaping this critical field.

The Cyber Security Breaches Survey, 2020 was run to understand organisations' approaches and attitudes to cyber security, and to understand their experience of cyber security breaches. Its aim was to support the Government by providing evidence that can inform policies which help to make Britain a safer place to do business online.

The data have been collected annually since 2016 to understand the views of UK organisations on cyber security. Data is 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 Cabinet Office 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 (rather than averages) 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 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2020">Cyber Security Breaches Survey, 2020 webpage.

The Cyber Security Breaches Survey, 2025 (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 2025 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 Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Home Office.

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 Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2025" target="_blank"> GOV.UK Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025 web page.

Washington law requires entities impacted by a data breach to notify the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) when more than 500 Washingtonians personal information was compromised as a result of the breach. This dataset is a collection of various statistics that have been derived from these notices, and is the source of data used to produce the AGO’s Annual Data Breach Report.

Introduction

Cloud Security Statistics: Imagine for a moment that your company's most sensitive files, customer lists, and financial records are up for sale to the highest bidder. In 2025, it’s not some rumors or hypothetical question; it's a daily reality for thousands of businesses. One click on the wrong link. One weak password.

The result is devastating financial and reputational loss. This article will show you, with all the data, just how real and pervasive this threat is. In this article, we gathered the most up-to-date Cloud Security statistics. Let’s dive into the article.

Introduction

Data Privacy Statistics: As the digital landscape continues to evolve, data privacy has become a paramount concern for individuals, organizations, and governments alike. The increase in cyber threats, coupled with the growing volume of personal and sensitive data being generated, has made safeguarding this information more critical than ever.

Data privacy statistics are essential for gaining a deeper understanding of current privacy practices, consumer perceptions, and the regulatory environment. These figures provide important insights into how businesses are addressing data protection challenges, the effectiveness of privacy regulations such as GDPR, and the public's view on data security.

With incidents of data breaches and privacy violations on the rise, organizations face mounting pressure to implement robust security measures. By examining the latest data privacy statistics, we can better evaluate the risks, the advancements being made in data protection, and the influence of emerging technologies like AI and big data on privacy standards.

Between January and September 2024, healthcare organizations in the United States saw 491 large-scale data breaches, resulting in the loss of over 500 records. This figure has increased significantly in the last decade. To date, the highest number of large-scale data breaches in the U.S. healthcare sector was recorded in 2023, with a reported 745 cases.

The Cyber Security Breaches Survey, 2024 (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 2024 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 DSIT 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 2024 web page.