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IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025

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Relevant to AI governance discussions as it quantifies risks of deploying ungoverned AI systems; primarily a cybersecurity industry report rather than an AI safety research paper, but highlights real-world cost implications of AI oversight gaps.

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Importance: 35/100homepagereference

Summary

IBM's annual Cost of a Data Breach Report, produced with the Ponemon Institute, provides global research on data breach costs, trends, and contributing factors. The 2025 edition highlights an 'AI oversight gap' where rapid AI adoption is outpacing security governance, with ungoverned AI systems facing higher breach likelihood and costs. The global average breach cost reached $4.4M USD.

Key Points

  • Global average cost of a data breach is $4.4M USD in 2025, a 9% decrease over last year due to faster identification and containment.
  • Key finding: ungoverned AI systems are more likely to be breached and incur higher costs when breached.
  • 97% of organizations surveyed show AI adoption outpacing security and governance controls.
  • Report produced jointly by IBM and Ponemon Institute, representing broad global industry research.
  • Covers threat detection, response capabilities, and risk factors including ransomware and insider threats.

Cited by 1 page

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AI Risk Activation Timeline ModelAnalysis66.0

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Cost of a data breach 2025 | IBM 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 



 

 
 
 



 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 
 


 
 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 










 
 
 






 



 




 
 






 

 

 

 
 
 
 


 
 

 






 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 
 

 
 
 
 Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Download report 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Watch the webinar 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 

 The AI oversight gap 

 

 
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 New global research from IBM and Ponemon Institute reveals how AI is greatly outpacing security and governance in favor of do-it-now adoption. The findings show that ungoverned AI systems are more likely to be breached and more costly when they are.



 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 4.4M
 

 

 
 
 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 The global average cost of a data breach, in USD, a 9% decrease over last year—driven by faster identification and containment.



 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 97% 
 

 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 Share of organizations that reported an AI-related security incident and lacked proper AI access controls.



 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 63% 
 

 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 Share of organizations that lacked AI governance policies to manage AI or prevent the proliferation of shadow AI.



 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 1.9M
 

 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 Cost savings, in USD, from extensive use of AI in security, compared to organizations that didn’t use these solutions.



 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 

 Key takeaways 

 

 
 

 

 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Join IBM cybersecurity expert Jeff Crume as he unpacks this year’s key findings, strategic takeaways and recommendations for how you can limit risk and safeguard your AI, data, people and infrastructure.



 
 
 


 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Watch video (15:26) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 

 Take action 

 

 
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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