Key Takeaways
- Phishing was involved in 16% of breaches per Verizon 2023 DBIR.
- Stolen credentials facilitated 49% of breaches in 2023 Verizon DBIR.
- Ransomware was a factor in 24% of breaches analyzed in 2023.
- There were 8,295 reported data breaches in the US in 2023.
- Verizon's 2023 DBIR reported 16,216 security incidents analyzed, with 5,199 confirmed breaches.
- 83% of breaches involved external actors in 2023 per Verizon DBIR.
- The average global cost of a data breach in 2023 reached $4.45 million, a 15% increase over three years.
- In the US, the average cost of a data breach in 2023 was $9.44 million, the highest of any region.
- Healthcare organizations faced an average breach cost of $10.93 million in 2023, the most expensive industry.
- 22 billion records exposed in breaches worldwide in 2023.
- Equifax breach of 2017 exposed 147 million records.
- Yahoo's 2013 breach affected 3 billion accounts.
- Government breaches 40% from insider actions.
- Healthcare represented 20% of all US breaches in 2023.
- Financial services accounted for 15% of US data breaches in 2023.
Phishing, stolen credentials, and ransomware drive most breaches and breach costs keep rising.
Related reading
Attack Vectors
Attack Vectors Interpretation
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Breach Incidents
Breach Incidents Interpretation
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Financial Impacts
Financial Impacts Interpretation
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Records Compromised
Records Compromised Interpretation
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Sectors Affected
Sectors Affected Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
David Sutherland. (2026, February 13). Cyber Security Breach Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cyber-security-breach-statistics
David Sutherland. "Cyber Security Breach Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/cyber-security-breach-statistics.
David Sutherland. 2026. "Cyber Security Breach Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cyber-security-breach-statistics.
Sources & References
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ncsc.gov.uk
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- Reference 10PRNEWSWIREprnewswire.com
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- Reference 23MANDIANTmandiant.com
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- Reference 30PONEMONponemon.org
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- Reference 31PWCpwc.com
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- Reference 32CSIScsis.org
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