LONDON, April 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verizon Business today released its 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), revealing a dramatic surge in global data breaches, with EMEA experiencing a significant increase in system intrusion breaches. These breaches have skyrocketed, nearly doubling to 53% of breaches in the region in just one year.

The 2025 DBIR, which analysed over 22,000 security incidents, including 12,195 confirmed data breaches, found third-party involvement doubling to 30% in this year's report and a 34% surge in vulnerability exploitation globally. In EMEA, nearly a third (29%) of breaches originated from within the organisation, a stark contrast to APAC, where only 1% of threats are from internal actors, and North America, where internal threats account for just 5% of breaches. Although EMEA experienced the highest percentage of breaches caused by internal actors, the number of insiders decreased by 41% in 2025. This decline was due to a faster increase in other types of breaches.

“The alarming rate of employee-driven breaches in EMEA underscores a critical need for businesses to strengthen their internal cybersecurity. Organisations must go beyond guarding against external threats and foster a culture of security awareness and accountability within,” said Sanjiv Gossain, Group Vice President and Head of EMEA of Verizon Business. “The surge in system intrusions across EMEA is a clear warning to organisations to urgently fortify both external defenses and internal controls through comprehensive employee training, robust access controls, and zero-trust frameworks.”

Key EMEA Findings:

• System Intrusion Threats: System intrusion breaches surged to 53%, nearly double last year’s rate of 27%
• Insider Leaks: 29% of breaches originate from within EMEA organisations, with 19% attributed to unintentional mistakes and 8% involving misuse, such as unauthorised use of data that violates the organisation’s policies
• Social Engineering: The second-most common incident pattern in the region, with phishing appearing in 19% of breaches in EMEA
  

Key Global Findings:

• Exploitation of Vulnerabilities: This initial attack vector saw a 34% increase, with a significant focus on zero-day exploits targeting perimeter devices and VPNs
• Ransomware: Ransomware attacks rose by 37% since last year, and are now present in 44% of breaches, despite a noticeable decrease in the median ransom amount paid
• Third-Party Involvement: The percentage of breaches involving third parties doubled, highlighting the risks associated with supply chain and partner ecosystems
• Human Element: Human involvement in breaches remains high, with a significant overlap between social engineering and credential abuse

“The DBIR's findings underscore the importance of a multi-layered defense strategy,” said Chris Novak, Vice President, Global Cybersecurity Solutions, Verizon Business. “Businesses need to invest in robust security measures, including strong password policies, timely patching of vulnerabilities, and comprehensive security awareness training for employees.”

Sector Spotlight: Manufacturing Hit by Sixfold Surge in Espionage Attacks

The 2025 DBIR exposes alarming cybersecurity shifts targeting key industries worldwide. Manufacturing has experienced a dramatic, nearly sixfold surge in espionage-motivated breaches, jumping to 20% from just 3% last year. Healthcare similarly faces rising espionage threats, while Education and Financial industries also continue to battle persistent cybersecurity challenges.

Retail organisations have weathered a 15% increase in cyber incidents since 2024, with attackers now pivoting away from payment card data toward easier targets such as customer credentials, business plans, and reports.

This year's findings serve as a critical warning for businesses globally—including those in EMEA—to take immediate, decisive action. Organisations must strengthen their cybersecurity defenses against these evolving threats to protect vital assets, maintain customer trust, and ensure sustainable success in today's digital landscape.

“This year’s DBIR findings reflect a mixed bag of results. Glass-half-full types can celebrate the rise in the number of victim organisations that did not pay ransoms with 64% not paying vs 50% two years ago. The glass-half empty personas will see in the DBIR that organisations that don’t have the proper IT and cybersecurity maturity – often the SMB sized organisations, are paying the price for their size with ransomware being present in 88% of breaches,” said Craig Robinson, Research Vice President, Security Services at IDC. “While there is no magic pill to swallow that will alleviate the pain of cybersecurity attacks, Verizon’s leadership in educating the public on the types of attacker motives, tactics and techniques is a key head start in raising global awareness and cyber readiness.”

Visit our Cybersecurity Awareness page to learn more about data privacy and Verizon’s efforts.

About Verizon Business
Verizon Business is a global leader in providing communication and technology solutions to businesses of all sizes. With a comprehensive portfolio of services, including network, cloud, security, and collaboration solutions, Verizon Business helps organizations improve their operations, enhance their customer experiences, and drive innovation.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) powers and empowers how its millions of customers live, work and play, delivering on their demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity and security. Headquartered in New York City, serving countries worldwide and nearly all of the Fortune 500, Verizon generated revenues of $134.8 billion in 2024. Verizon’s world-class team never stops innovating to meet customers where they are today and equip them for the needs of tomorrow. For more, visit verizon.com or find a retail location at verizon.com/stores.

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Media contact:
Sebrina Kepple
sebrina.kepple@verizon.com