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Statistics · 25 sourced figures · last checked 2026-11-05

Identity breach statistics 2026

As of November 2026: Stolen credentials no longer lead as the first step into a breach: Verizon's 2026 DBIR puts credential abuse at 13% of initial access, behind vulnerability exploitation at 31%, yet credential abuse still shows up at some point in 39% of breaches. Once inside, attackers move fast, with CrowdStrike measuring an average eCrime breakout time of 29 minutes, while IBM puts the global average breach cost at $4.99M and the time to identify and contain at 247 days. Third parties are involved in 48% of breaches and ransomware in 48%.

Root cause and initial access

  • 13%

    Credential abuse was the initial access vector in 13% of breaches in Verizon's 2026 DBIR, down from 22% a year earlier, partly because Pretexting is now tracked as a separate vector.

    Source: Verizon, 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, published May 19, 2026

    Method: Analysis of more than 31,000 real-world security incidents, of which more than 22,000 were confirmed data breaches in 145 countries, mostly occurring in 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Verizon, "2026 Data Breach Investigations Report," May 19, 2026, https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/T343/reports/2026-dbir-data-breach-investigations-report.pdf. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-dbir-credential-abuse-initial-access (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 39%

    Counting credential abuse at any point in the breach, not only as the first action, it appeared in 39% of breaches in Verizon's 2026 DBIR, the most of any action.

    Source: Verizon, 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, published May 19, 2026

    Method: Analysis of more than 31,000 real-world security incidents, of which more than 22,000 were confirmed data breaches in 145 countries, mostly occurring in 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Verizon, "2026 Data Breach Investigations Report," May 19, 2026, https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/T343/reports/2026-dbir-data-breach-investigations-report.pdf. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-dbir-credential-abuse-any-point (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 31%

    Vulnerability exploitation was the initial access vector in 31% of breaches in Verizon's 2026 DBIR, the first time in 19 editions it passed stolen credentials as the top entry point.

    Source: Verizon, Vulnerability exploitation top breach entry point, 2026 industry-wide DBIR finds, published May 19, 2026

    Method: Analysis of more than 31,000 real-world security incidents, of which more than 22,000 were confirmed data breaches in 145 countries, mostly occurring in 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Verizon, "Vulnerability exploitation top breach entry point, 2026 industry-wide DBIR finds," May 19, 2026, https://www.verizon.com/about/news/breach-industry-wide-dbir-finds. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-dbir-exploitation-initial-access (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 62%

    A human element, such as error, social engineering or misuse, was present in 62% of breaches in Verizon's 2026 DBIR, up from 60% the year before.

    Source: Verizon, 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, published May 19, 2026

    Method: Analysis of more than 31,000 real-world security incidents, of which more than 22,000 were confirmed data breaches in 145 countries, mostly occurring in 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Verizon, "2026 Data Breach Investigations Report," May 19, 2026, https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/T343/reports/2026-dbir-data-breach-investigations-report.pdf. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-dbir-human-element (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 88%

    About 88% of Basic Web Application Attacks breaches in Verizon's 2025 DBIR involved the use of stolen credentials.

    Source: Verizon, 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report, published April 23, 2025

    Method: Analysis of 22,052 real-world security incidents, of which 12,195 were confirmed data breaches. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Verizon, "2025 Data Breach Investigations Report," April 23, 2025, https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/T16f/reports/2025-dbir-data-breach-investigations-report.pdf. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-dbir-2025-web-app-stolen-credentials (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 32%

    Exploits were the most common initial infection vector in Mandiant's 2025 investigations at 32% of intrusions, the sixth year in a row they led.

    Source: Mandiant (Google Cloud), M-Trends 2026: Data, Insights, and Strategies From the Frontlines, published March 23, 2026

    Method: Mandiant Consulting investigations of targeted attack activity conducted between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Mandiant (Google Cloud), "M-Trends 2026: Data, Insights, and Strategies From the Frontlines," March 23, 2026, https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/threat-intelligence/m-trends-2026/. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-mtrends-exploits-initial-vector (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 11%

    Voice phishing rose to 11% of initial infection vectors in Mandiant's 2025 investigations, making it the second most common way in, while email phishing fell to 6%.

    Source: Mandiant (Google Cloud), M-Trends 2026 Executive Edition, published March 23, 2026

    Method: Mandiant Consulting investigations of targeted attack activity conducted between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Mandiant (Google Cloud), "M-Trends 2026 Executive Edition," March 23, 2026, https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/m-trends-2026-executive-edition-en.pdf. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-mtrends-voice-phishing-initial-vector (checked 2026-11-05).

Cost and response time

  • $4.99M

    The global average cost of a data breach reached $4.99M in IBM's 2026 Cost of a Data Breach Report, a 12% increase over the prior year and a record high.

    Source: IBM, Cost of a Data Breach Report 2026, published July 29, 2026

    Method: Ponemon Institute study, sponsored and analyzed by IBM, of breaches experienced by 602 organizations globally between March 2025 and February 2026. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    IBM, "Cost of a Data Breach Report 2026," July 29, 2026, https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-ibm-global-average-cost (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 247 days

    Organizations took an average of 247 days to identify and contain a breach, according to IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report 2026.

    Source: IBM, What is a data breach? (citing Cost of a Data Breach Report 2026), published July 29, 2026

    Method: Ponemon Institute study, sponsored and analyzed by IBM, of breaches experienced by 602 organizations globally between March 2025 and February 2026. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    IBM, "What is a data breach? (citing Cost of a Data Breach Report 2026)," July 29, 2026, https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/data-breach. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-ibm-breach-lifecycle-days (checked 2026-11-05).

  • $1.93M

    Organizations with extensive use of security AI and automation saved $1.93M in average breach costs compared with organizations using none, according to IBM's 2026 Cost of a Data Breach Report.

    Source: IBM, Cost of a Data Breach Report 2026, published July 29, 2026

    Method: Ponemon Institute study, sponsored and analyzed by IBM, of breaches experienced by 602 organizations globally between March 2025 and February 2026. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    IBM, "Cost of a Data Breach Report 2026," July 29, 2026, https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-ibm-ai-automation-savings (checked 2026-11-05).

  • $6 million

    Malicious breaches that were AI-enabled, mostly deepfake impersonation and AI-enabled malware, cost an average of $6 million, about $1 million above the global average, in IBM's 2026 study.

    Source: IBM, IBM Study: One in Four Malicious Breaches are AI-Enabled, Costing Companies $6 Million on Average, published July 29, 2026

    Method: Ponemon Institute study, sponsored and analyzed by IBM, of breaches experienced by 602 organizations globally between March 2025 and February 2026. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    IBM, "IBM Study: One in Four Malicious Breaches are AI-Enabled, Costing Companies $6 Million on Average," July 29, 2026, https://newsroom.ibm.com/2026-07-29-ibm-study-one-in-four-malicious-breaches-are-ai-enabled,-costing-companies-6-million-on-average. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-ibm-ai-enabled-breach-cost (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 14 days

    Global median dwell time in Mandiant's 2025 investigations rose to 14 days from 11 days in 2024, driven largely by espionage and North Korean IT worker cases.

    Source: Mandiant (Google Cloud), M-Trends 2026: Data, Insights, and Strategies From the Frontlines, published March 23, 2026

    Method: Mandiant Consulting investigations of targeted attack activity conducted between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Mandiant (Google Cloud), "M-Trends 2026: Data, Insights, and Strategies From the Frontlines," March 23, 2026, https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/threat-intelligence/m-trends-2026/. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-mtrends-median-dwell-time (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 52%

    Organizations first detected malicious activity internally in 52% of Mandiant's 2025 investigations, up from 43% in 2024.

    Source: Mandiant (Google Cloud), M-Trends 2026 Executive Edition, published March 23, 2026

    Method: Mandiant Consulting investigations of targeted attack activity conducted between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Mandiant (Google Cloud), "M-Trends 2026 Executive Edition," March 23, 2026, https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/m-trends-2026-executive-edition-en.pdf. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-mtrends-internal-detection (checked 2026-11-05).

Identity and cloud intrusions

  • 29 minutes

    The average eCrime breakout time, from initial access to lateral movement, fell to 29 minutes in 2025, according to CrowdStrike's 2026 Global Threat Report.

    Source: CrowdStrike, 2026 CrowdStrike Global Threat Report: AI Accelerates Adversaries and Reshapes the Attack Surface, published February 24, 2026

    Method: Frontline intelligence from CrowdStrike threat hunters and intelligence analysts tracking more than 280 named adversaries during 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    CrowdStrike, "2026 CrowdStrike Global Threat Report: AI Accelerates Adversaries and Reshapes the Attack Surface," February 24, 2026, https://www.crowdstrike.com/en-us/press-releases/2026-crowdstrike-global-threat-report/. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-crowdstrike-breakout-time (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 27 seconds

    The fastest eCrime breakout CrowdStrike observed in 2025 took 27 seconds, per its 2026 Global Threat Report.

    Source: CrowdStrike, 2026 CrowdStrike Global Threat Report: AI Accelerates Adversaries and Reshapes the Attack Surface, published February 24, 2026

    Method: Frontline intelligence from CrowdStrike threat hunters and intelligence analysts tracking more than 280 named adversaries during 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    CrowdStrike, "2026 CrowdStrike Global Threat Report: AI Accelerates Adversaries and Reshapes the Attack Surface," February 24, 2026, https://www.crowdstrike.com/en-us/press-releases/2026-crowdstrike-global-threat-report/. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-crowdstrike-fastest-breakout (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 82%

    82% of CrowdStrike detections in 2025 were malware-free, according to its 2026 Global Threat Report.

    Source: CrowdStrike, CrowdStrike 2026 Global Threat Report, published February 24, 2026

    Method: Frontline intelligence from CrowdStrike threat hunters and intelligence analysts tracking more than 280 named adversaries during 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    CrowdStrike, "CrowdStrike 2026 Global Threat Report," February 24, 2026, https://www.crowdstrike.com/en-us/global-threat-report/. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-crowdstrike-malware-free (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 37%

    Cloud-conscious intrusions rose by 37% overall in 2025, according to CrowdStrike's 2026 Global Threat Report.

    Source: CrowdStrike, 2026 CrowdStrike Global Threat Report: AI Accelerates Adversaries and Reshapes the Attack Surface, published February 24, 2026

    Method: Frontline intelligence from CrowdStrike threat hunters and intelligence analysts tracking more than 280 named adversaries during 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    CrowdStrike, "2026 CrowdStrike Global Threat Report: AI Accelerates Adversaries and Reshapes the Attack Surface," February 24, 2026, https://www.crowdstrike.com/en-us/press-releases/2026-crowdstrike-global-threat-report/. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-crowdstrike-cloud-intrusions (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 37%

    In a point-in-time cloud exposure dataset in Verizon's 2026 DBIR, 37% of organizations had an admin account with MFA disabled on an IaaS offering.

    Source: Verizon, 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, published May 19, 2026

    Method: Analysis of more than 31,000 real-world security incidents, of which more than 22,000 were confirmed data breaches in 145 countries, mostly occurring in 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Verizon, "2026 Data Breach Investigations Report," May 19, 2026, https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/T343/reports/2026-dbir-data-breach-investigations-report.pdf. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-dbir-iaas-admin-mfa-disabled (checked 2026-11-05).

Third parties and ransomware

  • 48%

    Breaches involving a third party made up 48% of all breaches in Verizon's 2026 DBIR, after rising 60% from the prior year's dataset.

    Source: Verizon, Vulnerability exploitation top breach entry point, 2026 industry-wide DBIR finds, published May 19, 2026

    Method: Analysis of more than 31,000 real-world security incidents, of which more than 22,000 were confirmed data breaches in 145 countries, mostly occurring in 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Verizon, "Vulnerability exploitation top breach entry point, 2026 industry-wide DBIR finds," May 19, 2026, https://www.verizon.com/about/news/breach-industry-wide-dbir-finds. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-dbir-third-party (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 23%

    Only 23% of third-party organizations fully remediated missing or improperly secured MFA on their cloud accounts, in Verizon's 2026 DBIR survival analysis of 7,513 exposures.

    Source: Verizon, 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, published May 19, 2026

    Method: Analysis of more than 31,000 real-world security incidents, of which more than 22,000 were confirmed data breaches in 145 countries, mostly occurring in 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Verizon, "2026 Data Breach Investigations Report," May 19, 2026, https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/T343/reports/2026-dbir-data-breach-investigations-report.pdf. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-dbir-third-party-mfa-remediation (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 48%

    Ransomware was present in 48% of breaches in Verizon's 2026 DBIR, up from 44% the year before.

    Source: Verizon, 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, published May 19, 2026

    Method: Analysis of more than 31,000 real-world security incidents, of which more than 22,000 were confirmed data breaches in 145 countries, mostly occurring in 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Verizon, "2026 Data Breach Investigations Report," May 19, 2026, https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/T343/reports/2026-dbir-data-breach-investigations-report.pdf. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-dbir-ransomware-share (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 69%

    In Verizon's 2026 DBIR dataset, 69% of ransomware victims did not pay the ransom.

    Source: Verizon, 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, published May 19, 2026

    Method: Analysis of more than 31,000 real-world security incidents, of which more than 22,000 were confirmed data breaches in 145 countries, mostly occurring in 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Verizon, "2026 Data Breach Investigations Report," May 19, 2026, https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/T343/reports/2026-dbir-data-breach-investigations-report.pdf. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-dbir-ransomware-not-paid (checked 2026-11-05).

  • $139,875

    The median ransom paid in Verizon's 2026 DBIR dataset was $139,875, down from $150,000 the year before.

    Source: Verizon, 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, published May 19, 2026

    Method: Analysis of more than 31,000 real-world security incidents, of which more than 22,000 were confirmed data breaches in 145 countries, mostly occurring in 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Verizon, "2026 Data Breach Investigations Report," May 19, 2026, https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/T343/reports/2026-dbir-data-breach-investigations-report.pdf. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-dbir-median-ransom (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 30%

    Prior compromise was the most common initial infection vector in Mandiant's 2025 ransomware investigations, at 30% of cases.

    Source: Mandiant (Google Cloud), M-Trends 2026: Data, Insights, and Strategies From the Frontlines, published March 23, 2026

    Method: Mandiant Consulting investigations of targeted attack activity conducted between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Mandiant (Google Cloud), "M-Trends 2026: Data, Insights, and Strategies From the Frontlines," March 23, 2026, https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/threat-intelligence/m-trends-2026/. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-mtrends-ransomware-prior-compromise (checked 2026-11-05).

  • 3,322

    The Identity Theft Resource Center tracked a record 3,322 publicly reported US data compromises in 2025, while about 30% of breaches involved at least one third party.

    Source: Identity Theft Resource Center, 2025 Data Breach Report, published January 2026

    Method: Count of publicly reported US data compromises in 2025 compiled by the ITRC from state Attorneys General filings, media reports and direct consumer notices. Last checked 2026-11-05.

    How to cite

    Identity Theft Resource Center, "2025 Data Breach Report," January 2026, https://www.idtheftcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2025-ITRC-Annual-Data-Breach-Report.pdf. Compiled in Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/#identity-breaches-itrc-us-compromises (checked 2026-11-05).

From SWI's own datasets

Computed from Start with Identity's own primary-sourced datasets each time the site is built, so these figures move when the data does. Follow each link for the records behind the number.

What qualifies as a statistic

Every figure on this page is primary (linked to the publisher's own report, press release or official page, never a stats roundup), dated (the publisher's release date is shown) and has a stated method (survey sample, telemetry or official count). We read each number on its source page on the date shown as last checked, and drop anything we cannot verify.

Vendor surveys are labeled with the vendor's name: treat them as one company's view of its own customers or respondents, not a census. Spot an error or a newer edition? Tell us.

How to cite this page

Cite the original publisher for each number (every card has a "How to cite" line), and link this page as the compilation. Our compilation is CC BY 4.0; download it as CSV or JSON.

Start with Identity, "Identity breach statistics 2026," https://startwithidentity.com/statistics/identity-breaches/ (last checked 2026-11-05). Cite each figure to its original publisher.

Related on Start with Identity

More identity statistics

Identity breaches statistics: questions

What percentage of breaches involve stolen credentials in 2026?
Verizon's 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report found credential abuse was the initial access vector in 13% of breaches, down from 22% a year earlier, partly because Pretexting is now counted separately. Counted at any point in the breach, credential abuse appeared in 39% of breaches, more than any other action.
What is the average cost of a data breach in 2026?
IBM's 2026 Cost of a Data Breach Report puts the global average at $4.99M, a 12% increase over the prior year and a record high. Organizations with extensive use of security AI and automation saved $1.93M on average.
How long does it take to detect and contain a data breach?
IBM reports an average of 247 days to identify and contain a breach in its 2026 report. Mandiant's M-Trends 2026 puts global median dwell time at 14 days, up from 11 days in 2024.
How fast do attackers move after getting in?
CrowdStrike's 2026 Global Threat Report measured an average eCrime breakout time of 29 minutes in 2025, with the fastest observed breakout at 27 seconds.
How many breaches involve third parties or ransomware?
Verizon's 2026 DBIR found third parties involved in 48% of breaches and ransomware present in 48%. The median ransom paid was $139,875, and 69% of ransomware victims did not pay.