Data breaches can happen anywhere in the world, and they can be costly for both individuals and companies. With the increasing use of technology in our daily lives, the amount of personal information stored online has increased significantly. This information is valuable to hackers, who target individuals and organizations to steal their data.
There are several measures that individuals and companies can take to protect themselves from data breaches, such as creating strong passwords, using a residential proxy, and installing antivirus software. However, these measures may not always be enough to prevent hackers from accessing sensitive information.
Proxyrack, a provider of proxy solutions, conducted a study to determine the average cost of a data breach for different countries, industries, and the percentage of remote workers. They used IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report 2021 to gather the required data.
The Countries Losing the Most Money to Data Breaches
The United States has the highest average cost of a data breach at $9 million, followed by the Middle East at $6.93 million, and Canada at $5.4 million. The average cost of a data breach in the United States is over $2 million, more expensive than any other country on the list.
The Industries Losing the Most Money to Data Breaches
The healthcare industry has the highest average cost of a data breach at $9.23 million, followed by the financial industry at $5.72 million, and the pharmaceutical industry at $5.04 million. A data breach in the healthcare industry is almost $4 million more expensive than any other industry.
The Effects of Remote Working on Data Breaches
Companies with the highest percentage of remote employees experienced the highest cost of a data breach in 2021. For companies with 81% to 100% of remote employees, the average cost of a data breach was just over $5.5 million. Companies with 61% to 80% of remote employees experienced the second-highest cost of a data breach, while companies with just 10% to 20% of remote workers experienced the third-highest average data breach cost.
The Countries Most Commonly Targeted by Data Breaches
The United States, France, and South Sudan are the top three countries that experience the highest number of data breaches per million people. The United States has experienced over 2.4 billion breaches, with 30 million happening in 2022 alone.
In conclusion, data breaches can be costly, both financially and in terms of the damage to an individual's or a company's reputation. The cost of a data breach can vary depending on the country, industry, and the percentage of remote workers. It is essential to take precautions to protect personal information and prevent data breaches.
