The 2024 Verizon DBIR analyzed over 30,000 incidents, confirming 10,626 data breaches across 94 countries—the highest recorded. Exploited vulnerabilities surged 180% year-over-year, fueled by MOVEit-style zero-days, while ransomware and extortion together drove 32% of breaches across nearly every industry. The human element remained central, contributing to 68% of breaches, from phishing to misdelivery errors. Supply chain-linked breaches rose sharply, and internal actors accounted for 35% due to error reporting. Financial motives dominated, but espionage ticked upward in public sectors. With median ransomware/extortion losses at $46,000, the report stresses patching, phishing resilience, and third-party risk management.

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