Verizon Data Breach Study Finds Olds Flaws Still Dangerous

Verizon Data Breach Study Finds Olds Flaws Still Dangerous

The 2015 edition of the DBIR provides insight into the state of cyber-security in 2014

  • By Matt Holden
  • Apr 22, 2015

The Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) for 2015 analyzed 79,790 security events and found that 2,122 were confirmed breaches. In contrast, the 2014 report was based on data from 63,437 security incidents, of which 1,367 were confirmed breaches.

 

This data shows that the volume of data breaches has risen, but the techniques used by attackers has remained mostly the same. The analysis found that 99.9 percent of the vulnerabilities in 2014 had been compromised more than a year after the associated CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) was published.

 

The report also found that while mobile is a concern, mobile exploitation was not necessarily an issue in 2014. Finally, the report found that when organizations are exploited, the cost of the data breach varies by a wide range, based in part on the number of records stolen. For example, a million-record loss can range from $57,600 all the way up to $27.5 million.

About the Author

Matt Holden is an Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media, Inc. He received his MFA and BA in journalism from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He currently writes and edits for Occupational Health & Safety magazine, and Security Today.

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