[Cyber Security Terms](/glossary) Data Breach [Blog](/blog)[Breaches](/breaches)[Resources](/resources)[News](/news) [Cyber Security Terms](/glossary) # Data Breach ##### [Edward Kost](/team/edward-kost) updated Sep 11, 2022 ###### Contents ## Data Breach A data breach is a critical security incident in which sensitive data is accessed without authorization or lost. These events are usually initiated by cybercriminals. Software vulnerabitlies make data breaches possible, but the most common attack vector is human error. [Social engineering](https://www.upguard.com/blog/social-engineering) - a tactic involving tricking staff members into divulging internal login credentials - is still one of the most effective methods of establishing malicious access into a private IT network. To mitigate this threat, organizations must educate their staff on common cyberattack methods and how to respond to them. The following resources can be used for cyber threat awareness training in the workplace: * [What is a cyber threat?](https://www.upguard.com/blog/cyber-threat) * [What is a data breach?](https://www.upguard.com/blog/data-breach) * [What is social engineering](https://www.upguard.com/blog/social-engineering)? * [What are phishing attacks?](https://www.upguard.com/blog/phishing) * [What is clickjacking?](https://www.upguard.com/blog/what-is-clickjacking) * [What is typosquatting?](https://www.upguard.com/blog/typosquatting) * [What is a DDoS attack?](https://www.upguard.com/blog/what-is-a-ddos-attack) * [What is Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS)?](https://www.upguard.com/blog/what-is-ransomware-as-a-service) ## Key takeaways * The average cost of a data breach in 2021 is USD 4.24 million * To prevent data breaches, organizations must detect and remediate all vulnerabilities across their entire attack surface. * The finance sector is one of the most heavily targeted industries in cyberattacks, and therefore, the most vulnerable to data breaches. * * ###### Reviewed by No items found. ###### Author ##### [Edward Kost](/team/edward-kost) ###### Reviewed by ##### [Kaushik Sen](/team/kaushik-sen) ###### Join 27,000+ cybersecurity newsletter subscribers ## Read more about data breaches Learn more about Data Breach and the latest issues in cybersecurity. [UpGuard](/blog/find-out-if-youre-exposed-on-the-dark-web) [Find Out if You're Exposed on the Dark Web](/blog/find-out-if-youre-exposed-on-the-dark-web) #### [Find Out if You're Exposed on the Dark Web](/blog/find-out-if-youre-exposed-on-the-dark-web) Answer 5 quick questions to predict what a dark web scan will find about your company. Then run the free scan to see your real exposure. [](/team/lance-turner) [Lance Turner](#) October 14, 2026 [UpGuard](/blog/your-first-dark-web-scan-report-explained) [Your First Dark Web Scan Report, Explained](/blog/your-first-dark-web-scan-report-explained) #### [Your First Dark Web Scan Report, Explained](/blog/your-first-dark-web-scan-report-explained) You scanned your domain. What do the results mean? 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[](/team/greg-pollock) [Greg Pollock](#) September 11, 2026 [UpGuard](/blog/how-tech-companies-can-prevent-data-breaches) [5 Ways Tech Companies Can Prevent Data Breaches](/blog/how-tech-companies-can-prevent-data-breaches) #### [5 Ways Tech Companies Can Prevent Data Breaches](/blog/how-tech-companies-can-prevent-data-breaches) Learn why the tech industry is a high-risk data breach target and how effective security policies can drive data protection across the supply chain.  [](/team/catherine-chipeta) [Catherine Chipeta](#) November 13, 2025 [View all blog posts](/blog) ## See UpGuard In Action Book a free, personalized onboarding call with one of our cybersecurity experts. [Contact sales](/demo) [Free demo](/demo) ## More from our blog Learn more about the latest issues in cybersecurity. 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None nailed all four. [](/team/cassy-van-eeden) [Cassy van Eeden](#) September 29, 2026 [UpGuard](/blog/cybersecurity-horror-stories-2026) [12 Cybersecurity Horror Stories of 2026 (No Costume Required)](/blog/cybersecurity-horror-stories-2026) #### [12 Cybersecurity Horror Stories of 2026 (No Costume Required)](/blog/cybersecurity-horror-stories-2026) A warning ignored once becomes a headline. Read more about these 12 real 2026 cybersecurity incidents, and the sign each one gave before it made the news. [](/team/revashni-moodley) [Revashni Moodley](#) October 14, 2026 [UpGuard](/blog/good-security-rating-your-dark-web-exposure-says-otherwise) [Good Security Rating? Your Dark Web Exposure Says Otherwise](/blog/good-security-rating-your-dark-web-exposure-says-otherwise) #### [Good Security Rating? Your Dark Web Exposure Says Otherwise](/blog/good-security-rating-your-dark-web-exposure-says-otherwise) Scan your domain to see just how exposed you are on the Dark Web. [](/team/lance-turner) [Lance Turner](#) October 11, 2026 [UpGuard](/blog/risk-automations-jira-integration) [Jira + UpGuard: Automating Risk Management Together](/blog/risk-automations-jira-integration) #### [Jira + UpGuard: Automating Risk Management Together](/blog/risk-automations-jira-integration) UpGuard’s Risk Automations route vendor, breach, and user risk signals into Jira, eliminating manual back-and-forth updates between the two platforms. [](/team/revashni-moodley) [Revashni Moodley](#) August 27, 2026 [UpGuard](/blog/risk-automations-servicenow-integration) [ServiceNow + UpGuard: Automating Risk Management Together](/blog/risk-automations-servicenow-integration) #### [ServiceNow + UpGuard: Automating Risk Management Together](/blog/risk-automations-servicenow-integration) See how UpGuard’s Risk Automations ServiceNow integration turns vendor, breach, and user risk findings into tickets and syncs without manual data entry. [](/team/revashni-moodley) [Revashni Moodley](#) September 18, 2026 [View all blog posts](/blog) ### Sign up for our newsletter UpGuard's monthly newsletter cuts through the noise and brings you what matters most: our breaking research, in-depth analysis of emerging threats, and actionable strategic insights. ##### Free instant security score ## How secure is your organization? Request a free cybersecurity report to discover key risks on your website, email, network, and brand. * Instant insights you can act on immediately * Hundreds of risk factors including email security, SSL, DNS health, open ports and common vulnerabilities [Free score](/instant-security-score)