Data breaches are getting worse - and many are coming from a familiar source

Hacking an IT network via zero-day vulnerabilities may grab all the headlines, but the vast majority of cybersecurity-related incidents come as a consequence of employee error.

The latest Verizon Business Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) found half (49%) of the incidents across the EMEA region are initiated internally.

Across the EMEA region, the top reasons for cybersecurity incidents include “miscellaneous errors, system intrusion, and social engineering” (87% of all breaches).

Zero-days still a major threat

When hackers make their way into an IT network, they mostly steal personal information (64%), followed by internal data (33%), and login credentials (20%).

But even when data breaches aren’t accidental and include a malicious third party, they are still initiated with a non-malicious human action, Verizon further explains. That means that an employee will either make a mistake, or fall prey to a social engineering attack.

“The persistence ...