Overview
- The IBM/Ponemon 2026 Cost of a Data Breach Report, released Wednesday, July 29, found the global average breach cost hit a record $4.99 million, a 12% increase year over year.
- One in four malicious breaches were AI-enabled, a 56% rise from last year, and those incidents cost about $6 million on average—roughly $1 million more per breach than non-AI attacks.
- Attackers concentrated AI-driven assaults on critical infrastructure, with 62% of reported AI attacks hitting sectors such as financial services and energy and raising risk of supply-chain and service disruption.
- Organizations that use AI and automation widely in security operations cut breach costs by about $1.9–$2.0 million, but most teams deploy AI for detection rather than proactive vulnerability management, leaving known exposures open.
- Mean time to identify and contain a breach rose to 247 days, healthcare remained the costliest sector (about $6.6 million per breach), and 85% of firms aware of frontier-AI risks say they plan to boost security spending.