How much does a data breach cost?
Cost of a Data Breach Report 2021 explores ways to help mitigate risk
Why this report matters
The annual Cost of a Data Breach Report, featuring research by the Ponemon Institute, offers insights from 537 real breaches to help you understand cyber risk in a changing world. Now in its 17th year, this report has become a leading benchmark tool, offering IT, risk management and security leaders a lens into factors that can increase or help mitigate the cost of data breaches.
Preview: Cost of a Data Breach Report 2021 (01:00)
Highlights
Trends
Report investigates general trends and cost averages in 17 industries and 17 countries and regions.
Risk quantification
Learn how cyber risk modeling can help assess risk through financial projections and probabilities.
Recommendations
Recommendations for security measures that can help reduce potential financial damages.*
Key findings
2021 had the highest average cost in 17 years
Data breach costs rose from USD 3.86 million to USD 4.24 million, the highest average total cost in the 17-year history of this report.
Remote work due to COVID-19 increased cost
The average cost was USD 1.07 million higher in breaches where remote work was a factor in causing the breach, compared to those where remote work was not a factor.
Compromised credentials caused the most breaches
The most common initial attack vector, compromised credentials, was responsible for 20% of breaches at an average breach cost of USD 4.37 million.
Security AI had the biggest cost-mitigating effect
Automation and security artificial intelligence (AI), when fully deployed, provided the biggest cost mitigation, up to USD 3.81 million less than organizations without it.
A zero trust approach helped reduce cost
The average cost of a breach was USD 1.76 million less at organizations with a mature zero trust approach, compared to organizations without zero trust.
Cloud migration impacted costs and containment
Organizations further along in their cloud modernization strategy contained the breach on average 77 days faster than those in the early stage of their modernization journey.
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Footnotes
*Note that this report does not constitute advice, and any recommendations are for educational purposes only. The research does not use scientific samples, and other limitations need to be carefully considered before drawing conclusions from findings.