Cybersecurity 2026

https://secureframe.com/blog/data-breach-

Monica Summary

The article provides a comprehensive overview of data breach statistics, trends, and mitigation strategies for 2026 and beyond. It highlights the financial and operational impacts of data breaches across industries, regions, and attack vectors while emphasising the importance of adopting AI, automation, and proactive security measures to safeguard organisations. 

Key insights include the rising costs of breaches, the role of insider threats, third-party risks, and the increasing use of AI in both attacks and defences.

Key Points

1. The average cost of a data breach dropped to $4.44 million in 2025, a 9% decrease from the all-time high in 2024. 
2. The U.S. experienced a 9% increase in average breach costs to $10.22 million in 2025, primarily due to higher regulatory fines and detection costs. 
3. The mean time to identifying and containing a breach fell to 241 days in 2025, a nine-year low. 53% of all breaches involved customer personal identifiable information (PII). 
4. Human error was involved in 60% of breaches, with insider threats resulting in an average loss of $4.92 million. 
5. Third-party and supply chain compromises were the second most prevalent and costliest attack vector at $4.91 million. 
6. AI-driven attacks accounted for one in six breaches in 2025, with phishing and deepfake impersonation being the most common uses. 
7. Organisations using extensive security AI and automation saved nearly $1.9 million and reduced breach containment time by 80 days. 
8. The Asia-Pacific region saw a 13% increase in attacks, accounting for 34% of global cyberattacks in 2025. 
9. Manufacturing was the most frequently targeted industry, while healthcare incurred the highest breach costs at $7.42 million in 2025. Credential abuse was the most common attack vector, accounting for 22% of breaches in 2025. 
10. Phishing has become the most common initial attack vector, responsible for 16% of breaches at an average cost of $4.8 million. 
11. The number of insider incidents increased by 7% year-over-year, reaching nearly 8,000 in 2025. In 2024, 36% of breaches originated from third-party compromises, with supply chain attacks affecting nearly half of the total number of individuals impacted. 
12. Organisations with high DevSecOps adoption saved $1.13 million compared to those with low or no adoption. Security skills shortages increased breach costs by an average of $173,400. 
13. Organisations that used MSSPs experienced lower breach costs, saving an average of $128,000. 
14. AI-assisted phishing emails increased from 5% in 2024 to 10% in 2025, with AI significantly reducing the time required to create phishing emails. 
15. The global cost of cybercrime grew at a rate of 15% annually from 2021 to 2025, and is expected to reach $1 trillion per month by 2031. 
16. Social engineering accounted for 23% of breaches in the finance sector and 22% in the manufacturing sector. 97% of organizations that reported an AI-related breach lacked proper AI access controls. 
17. Organisations with insider risk management programs reported benefits such as saving time, protecting brand reputation, and reducing breach costs.