IBM Report Reveals Rising Costs of Data Breaches and AI-Driven Attacks

According to the 2026 Data Breach Report from IBM, the average cost of a data breach globally reached $5 million last year, up 12% from 2025. The report analyzed data from over 600 organizations across 17 industries and 16 geographic regions.

The healthcare industry led the way in terms of breach costs, with an average cost of $6.6 million in 2026, down from $7 million in 2025. Financial services came in second, with a per-breach cost of $6.3 million in 2026, up 11% from $5.6 million in 2025.

The report found that AI-powered attacks were more costly, averaging $6 million per breach, compared to non-AI driven breaches at $5 million. The most common type of AI attack was deepfake or impersonation attacks, which accounted for 45% of all AI-driven attacks.