Security News > 2022 > February > Report: Data breach numbers may not actually be declining, and reporting them is getting slower

Report: Data breach numbers may not actually be declining, and reporting them is getting slower.

A study released by Flashpoint and Risk Based Security found two startling facts: It's report of a drop in the total number of breaches is likely erroneous, and the time it takes for an organization to report.

One of the more interesting data points that the report covers is its reported 5% drop in the total number of breaches between 2020 and 2021, a figure that report contributor and Flashpoint cybersecurity intelligence analyst Ashley Allocca said likely doesn't reflect reality.

"Readers of the 2020 Year End Report may recall at the time that report was issued, the number of publicly disclosed breaches stood at 3,932. We estimated that number would grow by 5% to 10% over the course of 2021. The number actually increased by 11.8%," Allocca said.

The report includes data going back to 2014 on the average number of days it took to disclose a breach, starting with 91 days.

Inga Goddijn, EVP of Risk Based Security, said that reporting delays have definitely become more pronounced since regulations about timely reporting were put in place.

News URL

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/report-data-breach-numbers-may-not-actually-be-declining-and-reporting-them-is-getting-slower/