GITNUXREPORT 2026

Network Security Statistics

Network threats surged dramatically last year, proving robust security is now essential.

How We Build This Report

01
Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02
Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03
AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04
Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Statistics that could not be independently verified are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are elsewhere.

Our process →

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

82% of enterprises use firewalls in networks, market $18.9B 2023

Statistic 2

75% adopted zero-trust network access (ZTNA) in 2023, up 20%

Statistic 3

SASE adoption in networks reached 40% of enterprises in 2023

Statistic 4

68% deployed network intrusion detection systems (IDS) in 2023

Statistic 5

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) on networks used by 91% but bypassed in 29% breaches 2023

Statistic 6

Network access control (NAC) implemented by 62% of large firms 2023

Statistic 7

77% use next-gen firewalls (NGFW) in perimeter networks 2023

Statistic 8

Endpoint detection response (EDR) extended to networks in 55% orgs 2023

Statistic 9

84% employ network segmentation for micro-segmentation 2023

Statistic 10

Cloud-native network security (CNNS) adopted by 70% cloud users 2023

Statistic 11

65% integrated AI-based network anomaly detection 2023

Statistic 12

VPN usage dropped to 52% with SD-WAN security rise 2023

Statistic 13

89% use DNS security filtering in networks 2023

Statistic 14

Network traffic analysis (NTA) tools in 58% enterprises 2023

Statistic 15

76% deployed secure web gateways (SWG) for networks 2023

Statistic 16

CASB for network-SaaS integration at 69% adoption 2023

Statistic 17

81% use SSL/TLS inspection in network proxies 2023

Statistic 18

Deception tech in networks adopted by 44% for threat hunting 2023

Statistic 19

92% have patch management for network devices 2023

Statistic 20

Network telemetry collection at 67% with SIEM integration 2023

Statistic 21

73% use UEBA for network user behavior analytics 2023

Statistic 22

Quantum-safe VPN protocols tested in 12% networks 2023

Statistic 23

5G private network security suites in 35% telcos 2023

Statistic 24

Global data breaches exposed 8.08 billion records in 2023, with network intrusions in 42%

Statistic 25

Average time to identify a network breach was 204 days in 2023

Statistic 26

49% of breaches involved stolen credentials accessing networks in 2023

Statistic 27

Healthcare networks had 1,200 breach incidents in 2023, exposing 133M records

Statistic 28

Retail sector network breaches cost $3.22M average in 2023

Statistic 29

22% of breaches stemmed from exploited network vulnerabilities in 2023

Statistic 30

US organizations reported 5,199 data breaches in 2023, 62% network-related

Statistic 31

Financial services breaches averaged $5.9M cost with network phishing entry in 2023

Statistic 32

3,205 ransomware breaches confirmed in 2023, 80% via network RDP

Statistic 33

Energy sector had 62 network breaches in 2023, disrupting operations 18 days avg

Statistic 34

Public sector network breaches rose 15% to 1,100 in 2023

Statistic 35

Average breach containment time for networks was 73 days in 2023

Statistic 36

68% of breaches involved human element in network access 2023

Statistic 37

Manufacturing networks saw 320 breaches, $4.96M avg cost in 2023

Statistic 38

EMEA region had highest breach frequency at 28% of global in 2023 networks

Statistic 39

15% of breaches used cloud network storage as exfil point 2023

Statistic 40

Education sector 748 network breaches exposed 4M records 2023

Statistic 41

Breach notification avg 49 days post-discovery in networks 2023

Statistic 42

Tech sector 23% of all breaches via supply chain networks 2023

Statistic 43

Hybrid cloud networks in 41% of multi-stage breaches 2023

Statistic 44

Avg records per breach 25,575 in network incidents 2023 US

Statistic 45

Critical infrastructure breaches up 30% to 450 in 2023 networks

Statistic 46

Lost productivity from breaches cost networks $1.59M avg 2023

Statistic 47

Notification costs for network breaches $0.53M avg 2023

Statistic 48

Detection & escalation costs $1.76M avg per network breach 2023

Statistic 49

Post-breach response costs $0.76M avg for networks 2023

Statistic 50

Average global cost of a data breach reached $4.88 million in 2023 for network origins

Statistic 51

US network breach costs averaged $9.36M in 2023, highest globally

Statistic 52

Ransomware network attacks cost $1.54M avg detection/escalation in 2023

Statistic 53

Investing in network incident response teams saved $2.66M avg per breach 2023

Statistic 54

Network AI/ML security tools reduced breach costs by 40% to $3.5M avg 2023

Statistic 55

Zero trust network architecture adoption cut costs 28% to $3.3M avg 2023

Statistic 56

Network training programs reduced human-error breach costs by $0.25M 2023

Statistic 57

Cloud network security investments saved $1.38M per breach in 2023

Statistic 58

Breach costs in APAC networks averaged $4.82M in 2023

Statistic 59

Finance network breaches cost $5.9M avg, including $2.2M lost business 2023

Statistic 60

Healthcare network breach avg $10.93M, highest sector cost 2023

Statistic 61

Network downtime from breaches cost $140K per minute in finance 2023

Statistic 62

Global cybercrime costs projected $10.5T annually by 2025, 50% network-related

Statistic 63

DDoS mitigation annual spend on networks $5B globally in 2023

Statistic 64

Network firewall market size $20B in 2023, driven by breach costs

Statistic 65

Avg ransomware payment for network attacks $1.54M in 2023

Statistic 66

Network security operations center (SOC) staffing costs $15M avg annually 2023

Statistic 67

Breach-related customer churn cost networks $3.2M avg 2023

Statistic 68

Reputation damage from network breaches $1.3M avg long-term 2023

Statistic 69

Network encryption upgrades cost $2-5M for enterprises in 2023

Statistic 70

SIEM tools for networks averaged $500K implementation 2023

Statistic 71

Network segmentation projects $1.2M avg ROI in 2 years post-2023

Statistic 72

94% of orgs increased network security budgets by 12% avg in 2023 post-breach

Statistic 73

Managed Detection Response (MDR) for networks $200K-$1M yearly 2023

Statistic 74

By 2025, 99% of network traffic will be encrypted, up from 85% in 2023

Statistic 75

Zero-trust adoption in networks to reach 81% by 2026 from 30% 2023

Statistic 76

AI-driven network attacks to comprise 40% by 2025

Statistic 77

Ransomware-as-a-Service on networks to double to 70% of attacks by 2025

Statistic 78

Global network security market to grow to $81B by 2026 at 12.6% CAGR from 2023

Statistic 79

Quantum threats to break current network encryption by 2033 in 50% models

Statistic 80

5G networks to face 3x more DDoS volume by 2025

Statistic 81

IoT network devices to hit 29B by 2030, 75% unsecured initially

Statistic 82

Supply chain network attacks to rise 50% by 2025

Statistic 83

Network automation security integration mandatory for 90% by 2026

Statistic 84

Edge network security spend to $15B by 2028 from $2B 2023

Statistic 85

SASE market for networks $16B by 2027, 25% CAGR

Statistic 86

AI network anomaly detection accuracy to 99% by 2026

Statistic 87

Phishing simulation maturity to cover 95% networks by 2025

Statistic 88

Blockchain for network identity to 40% adoption by 2030

Statistic 89

Cyber insurance for networks to cover 70% premiums rise by 2025

Statistic 90

Network resilience testing annual for 85% critical infra by 2026

Statistic 91

Homomorphic encryption in networks commercial by 2027

Statistic 92

6G network security standards finalized by 2028, quantum-resistant

Statistic 93

Dark web network monitoring by 92% SOCs by 2025

Statistic 94

Global cyber talent shortage for networks 3.5M by 2025

Statistic 95

In 2023, 83% of organizations experienced at least one phishing attack, with network-based phishing accounting for 36% of successful breaches

Statistic 96

DDoS attacks increased by 24% year-over-year in 2023, peaking at 45 million attacks per quarter globally

Statistic 97

Ransomware attacks on networks rose 37% in 2023, with 71% targeting critical infrastructure sectors

Statistic 98

Zero-day exploits in network vulnerabilities were used in 12% of attacks in 2023, up from 8% in 2022

Statistic 99

IoT devices were involved in 15% of network compromise incidents in 2023 due to weak default credentials

Statistic 100

Supply chain attacks affecting networks surged 42% in 2023, impacting over 2,200 organizations

Statistic 101

Credential stuffing attacks hit 200 billion attempts in 2023, primarily targeting network login portals

Statistic 102

Malware delivery via network shares accounted for 22% of infections in enterprise networks in 2023

Statistic 103

Nation-state actors conducted 29% of advanced persistent threats (APTs) on networks in 2023

Statistic 104

Cryptojacking incidents via compromised networks increased 15% to 1.2 million cases in 2023

Statistic 105

DNS tunneling was used in 18% of data exfiltration attempts from networks in 2023

Statistic 106

Mobile network threats grew 28%, with SMS phishing (smishing) up 61% in 2023

Statistic 107

Vulnerability exploitation in network devices like routers rose 31% in 2023

Statistic 108

Insider threats via network access caused 19% of incidents in 2023

Statistic 109

Botnet-facilitated network attacks numbered 5.4 billion in 2023

Statistic 110

Cloud network misconfigurations led to 39% of exposure risks in 2023

Statistic 111

Spear-phishing success rate on networks was 11% higher in finance sector in 2023

Statistic 112

Network reconnaissance scans increased 45% to 12 trillion daily in 2023

Statistic 113

Watering hole attacks targeting corporate networks rose 22% in 2023

Statistic 114

Unpatched network software vulnerabilities were exploited in 60% of breaches in 2023

Statistic 115

SIM swapping attacks on telecom networks hit 1,800 cases monthly average in 2023

Statistic 116

Lateral movement via RDP in networks succeeded in 32% of ransomware cases in 2023

Statistic 117

API vulnerabilities in network services were hit in 25% of web app attacks in 2023

Statistic 118

Deepfake-enabled social engineering for network access rose 300% in 2023

Statistic 119

Quantum computing threats to network encryption modeled to break RSA by 2030 in 20% scenarios

Statistic 120

5G network slicing vulnerabilities exposed 14% more attack surfaces in 2023 trials

Statistic 121

Edge computing networks saw 50% more IoT botnet recruitments in 2023

Statistic 122

Network traffic anomalies detected only 41% of APTs pre-breach in 2023

Statistic 123

Blockchain network exploits drained $3.7B in 2023 via bridge hacks

Statistic 124

Wi-Fi 6 networks faced 27% more deauth attacks in public deployments 2023

Trusted by 500+ publications
Harvard Business ReviewThe GuardianFortune+497
Picture a world where 83% of organizations were hit by phishing last year, ransomware surged by 37%, and a staggering 8 billion records were exposed—these aren't just statistics, but a stark wake-up call that modern network security demands more than just a firewall.

Key Takeaways

  • In 2023, 83% of organizations experienced at least one phishing attack, with network-based phishing accounting for 36% of successful breaches
  • DDoS attacks increased by 24% year-over-year in 2023, peaking at 45 million attacks per quarter globally
  • Ransomware attacks on networks rose 37% in 2023, with 71% targeting critical infrastructure sectors
  • Global data breaches exposed 8.08 billion records in 2023, with network intrusions in 42%
  • Average time to identify a network breach was 204 days in 2023
  • 49% of breaches involved stolen credentials accessing networks in 2023
  • Average global cost of a data breach reached $4.88 million in 2023 for network origins
  • US network breach costs averaged $9.36M in 2023, highest globally
  • Ransomware network attacks cost $1.54M avg detection/escalation in 2023
  • 82% of enterprises use firewalls in networks, market $18.9B 2023
  • 75% adopted zero-trust network access (ZTNA) in 2023, up 20%
  • SASE adoption in networks reached 40% of enterprises in 2023
  • By 2025, 99% of network traffic will be encrypted, up from 85% in 2023
  • Zero-trust adoption in networks to reach 81% by 2026 from 30% 2023
  • AI-driven network attacks to comprise 40% by 2025

Network threats surged dramatically last year, proving robust security is now essential.

Adoption of Security Tools

182% of enterprises use firewalls in networks, market $18.9B 2023
Verified
275% adopted zero-trust network access (ZTNA) in 2023, up 20%
Verified
3SASE adoption in networks reached 40% of enterprises in 2023
Verified
468% deployed network intrusion detection systems (IDS) in 2023
Directional
5Multi-factor authentication (MFA) on networks used by 91% but bypassed in 29% breaches 2023
Single source
6Network access control (NAC) implemented by 62% of large firms 2023
Verified
777% use next-gen firewalls (NGFW) in perimeter networks 2023
Verified
8Endpoint detection response (EDR) extended to networks in 55% orgs 2023
Verified
984% employ network segmentation for micro-segmentation 2023
Directional
10Cloud-native network security (CNNS) adopted by 70% cloud users 2023
Single source
1165% integrated AI-based network anomaly detection 2023
Verified
12VPN usage dropped to 52% with SD-WAN security rise 2023
Verified
1389% use DNS security filtering in networks 2023
Verified
14Network traffic analysis (NTA) tools in 58% enterprises 2023
Directional
1576% deployed secure web gateways (SWG) for networks 2023
Single source
16CASB for network-SaaS integration at 69% adoption 2023
Verified
1781% use SSL/TLS inspection in network proxies 2023
Verified
18Deception tech in networks adopted by 44% for threat hunting 2023
Verified
1992% have patch management for network devices 2023
Directional
20Network telemetry collection at 67% with SIEM integration 2023
Single source
2173% use UEBA for network user behavior analytics 2023
Verified
22Quantum-safe VPN protocols tested in 12% networks 2023
Verified
235G private network security suites in 35% telcos 2023
Verified

Adoption of Security Tools Interpretation

We've built an impressive digital Maginot Line with nearly everyone manning the perimeter firewalls, but the real action is now a confusing, multi-layered scramble inside the walls where we're desperately trying to trust no one, inspect everything, and hope our own keys haven't been copied.

Breach Statistics

1Global data breaches exposed 8.08 billion records in 2023, with network intrusions in 42%
Verified
2Average time to identify a network breach was 204 days in 2023
Verified
349% of breaches involved stolen credentials accessing networks in 2023
Verified
4Healthcare networks had 1,200 breach incidents in 2023, exposing 133M records
Directional
5Retail sector network breaches cost $3.22M average in 2023
Single source
622% of breaches stemmed from exploited network vulnerabilities in 2023
Verified
7US organizations reported 5,199 data breaches in 2023, 62% network-related
Verified
8Financial services breaches averaged $5.9M cost with network phishing entry in 2023
Verified
93,205 ransomware breaches confirmed in 2023, 80% via network RDP
Directional
10Energy sector had 62 network breaches in 2023, disrupting operations 18 days avg
Single source
11Public sector network breaches rose 15% to 1,100 in 2023
Verified
12Average breach containment time for networks was 73 days in 2023
Verified
1368% of breaches involved human element in network access 2023
Verified
14Manufacturing networks saw 320 breaches, $4.96M avg cost in 2023
Directional
15EMEA region had highest breach frequency at 28% of global in 2023 networks
Single source
1615% of breaches used cloud network storage as exfil point 2023
Verified
17Education sector 748 network breaches exposed 4M records 2023
Verified
18Breach notification avg 49 days post-discovery in networks 2023
Verified
19Tech sector 23% of all breaches via supply chain networks 2023
Directional
20Hybrid cloud networks in 41% of multi-stage breaches 2023
Single source
21Avg records per breach 25,575 in network incidents 2023 US
Verified
22Critical infrastructure breaches up 30% to 450 in 2023 networks
Verified
23Lost productivity from breaches cost networks $1.59M avg 2023
Verified
24Notification costs for network breaches $0.53M avg 2023
Directional
25Detection & escalation costs $1.76M avg per network breach 2023
Single source
26Post-breach response costs $0.76M avg for networks 2023
Verified

Breach Statistics Interpretation

In 2023, the digital world essentially ran on an honor system where the honor was gone, as attackers leisurely took an average of 204 days to be noticed while pilfering billions of records, proving that our collective network security posture is less "fortress" and more "very polite suggestion box."

Cost of Security

1Average global cost of a data breach reached $4.88 million in 2023 for network origins
Verified
2US network breach costs averaged $9.36M in 2023, highest globally
Verified
3Ransomware network attacks cost $1.54M avg detection/escalation in 2023
Verified
4Investing in network incident response teams saved $2.66M avg per breach 2023
Directional
5Network AI/ML security tools reduced breach costs by 40% to $3.5M avg 2023
Single source
6Zero trust network architecture adoption cut costs 28% to $3.3M avg 2023
Verified
7Network training programs reduced human-error breach costs by $0.25M 2023
Verified
8Cloud network security investments saved $1.38M per breach in 2023
Verified
9Breach costs in APAC networks averaged $4.82M in 2023
Directional
10Finance network breaches cost $5.9M avg, including $2.2M lost business 2023
Single source
11Healthcare network breach avg $10.93M, highest sector cost 2023
Verified
12Network downtime from breaches cost $140K per minute in finance 2023
Verified
13Global cybercrime costs projected $10.5T annually by 2025, 50% network-related
Verified
14DDoS mitigation annual spend on networks $5B globally in 2023
Directional
15Network firewall market size $20B in 2023, driven by breach costs
Single source
16Avg ransomware payment for network attacks $1.54M in 2023
Verified
17Network security operations center (SOC) staffing costs $15M avg annually 2023
Verified
18Breach-related customer churn cost networks $3.2M avg 2023
Verified
19Reputation damage from network breaches $1.3M avg long-term 2023
Directional
20Network encryption upgrades cost $2-5M for enterprises in 2023
Single source
21SIEM tools for networks averaged $500K implementation 2023
Verified
22Network segmentation projects $1.2M avg ROI in 2 years post-2023
Verified
2394% of orgs increased network security budgets by 12% avg in 2023 post-breach
Verified
24Managed Detection Response (MDR) for networks $200K-$1M yearly 2023
Directional

Cost of Security Interpretation

In the ruthless economy of cybercrime, every dollar invested in a proactive network defense is effectively stealing millions back from hackers, as proven by the eye-watering costs of doing nothing.

Future Trends

1By 2025, 99% of network traffic will be encrypted, up from 85% in 2023
Verified
2Zero-trust adoption in networks to reach 81% by 2026 from 30% 2023
Verified
3AI-driven network attacks to comprise 40% by 2025
Verified
4Ransomware-as-a-Service on networks to double to 70% of attacks by 2025
Directional
5Global network security market to grow to $81B by 2026 at 12.6% CAGR from 2023
Single source
6Quantum threats to break current network encryption by 2033 in 50% models
Verified
75G networks to face 3x more DDoS volume by 2025
Verified
8IoT network devices to hit 29B by 2030, 75% unsecured initially
Verified
9Supply chain network attacks to rise 50% by 2025
Directional
10Network automation security integration mandatory for 90% by 2026
Single source
11Edge network security spend to $15B by 2028 from $2B 2023
Verified
12SASE market for networks $16B by 2027, 25% CAGR
Verified
13AI network anomaly detection accuracy to 99% by 2026
Verified
14Phishing simulation maturity to cover 95% networks by 2025
Directional
15Blockchain for network identity to 40% adoption by 2030
Single source
16Cyber insurance for networks to cover 70% premiums rise by 2025
Verified
17Network resilience testing annual for 85% critical infra by 2026
Verified
18Homomorphic encryption in networks commercial by 2027
Verified
196G network security standards finalized by 2028, quantum-resistant
Directional
20Dark web network monitoring by 92% SOCs by 2025
Single source
21Global cyber talent shortage for networks 3.5M by 2025
Verified

Future Trends Interpretation

As we scramble to encrypt nearly everything and adopt zero-trust in a breathless race against AI-driven attacks and rampant ransomware, our biggest security threat might just be the collective migraine induced by the fact we'll need 3.5 million more experts to manage it all while quantum threats loom on the horizon.

Threat Landscape

1In 2023, 83% of organizations experienced at least one phishing attack, with network-based phishing accounting for 36% of successful breaches
Verified
2DDoS attacks increased by 24% year-over-year in 2023, peaking at 45 million attacks per quarter globally
Verified
3Ransomware attacks on networks rose 37% in 2023, with 71% targeting critical infrastructure sectors
Verified
4Zero-day exploits in network vulnerabilities were used in 12% of attacks in 2023, up from 8% in 2022
Directional
5IoT devices were involved in 15% of network compromise incidents in 2023 due to weak default credentials
Single source
6Supply chain attacks affecting networks surged 42% in 2023, impacting over 2,200 organizations
Verified
7Credential stuffing attacks hit 200 billion attempts in 2023, primarily targeting network login portals
Verified
8Malware delivery via network shares accounted for 22% of infections in enterprise networks in 2023
Verified
9Nation-state actors conducted 29% of advanced persistent threats (APTs) on networks in 2023
Directional
10Cryptojacking incidents via compromised networks increased 15% to 1.2 million cases in 2023
Single source
11DNS tunneling was used in 18% of data exfiltration attempts from networks in 2023
Verified
12Mobile network threats grew 28%, with SMS phishing (smishing) up 61% in 2023
Verified
13Vulnerability exploitation in network devices like routers rose 31% in 2023
Verified
14Insider threats via network access caused 19% of incidents in 2023
Directional
15Botnet-facilitated network attacks numbered 5.4 billion in 2023
Single source
16Cloud network misconfigurations led to 39% of exposure risks in 2023
Verified
17Spear-phishing success rate on networks was 11% higher in finance sector in 2023
Verified
18Network reconnaissance scans increased 45% to 12 trillion daily in 2023
Verified
19Watering hole attacks targeting corporate networks rose 22% in 2023
Directional
20Unpatched network software vulnerabilities were exploited in 60% of breaches in 2023
Single source
21SIM swapping attacks on telecom networks hit 1,800 cases monthly average in 2023
Verified
22Lateral movement via RDP in networks succeeded in 32% of ransomware cases in 2023
Verified
23API vulnerabilities in network services were hit in 25% of web app attacks in 2023
Verified
24Deepfake-enabled social engineering for network access rose 300% in 2023
Directional
25Quantum computing threats to network encryption modeled to break RSA by 2030 in 20% scenarios
Single source
265G network slicing vulnerabilities exposed 14% more attack surfaces in 2023 trials
Verified
27Edge computing networks saw 50% more IoT botnet recruitments in 2023
Verified
28Network traffic anomalies detected only 41% of APTs pre-breach in 2023
Verified
29Blockchain network exploits drained $3.7B in 2023 via bridge hacks
Directional
30Wi-Fi 6 networks faced 27% more deauth attacks in public deployments 2023
Single source

Threat Landscape Interpretation

The barrage of 2023’s network security stats paints a picture where hackers, armed with everything from charm to quantum threats, are essentially holding a master key to our digital castle while we’re still fumbling with the deadbolt and debating who left the IoT toaster unlocked.

Sources & References