Vendor dataAll sizesGlobal
48%
of breaches involved a third party such as a supplier or software vendor, up 60% from the year before
Verizon Business, Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), Nov 2024 to Oct 2025
Vendor dataUpdated 23 Oct 2026
31%of breaches started with attackers exploiting a software vulnerability, now the top way in, ahead of stolen credentials (13%)
31% of breaches started with attackers exploiting a software vulnerability, now the top way in, ahead of stolen credentials (13%) (Nov 2024 to Oct 2025, Verizon Business, Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR))
Vendor dataChecked at source, 23 Oct 2026All sizesGlobalCyber security · Breaches
In plain words
What this number really says
31% of breaches started with attackers exploiting a software vulnerability, now the top way in, ahead of stolen credentials (13%) (Nov 2024 to Oct 2025).
31%
the latest figure (Nov 2024 to Oct 2025)
Vendor data
type of source
Why you can trust it. Verizon Business, Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR): vendor data, a company measuring its own customers or panel. 31,861 incidents, 22,625 confirmed breaches in 145 countries, 1 Nov 2024 to 31 Oct 2025, from Verizon and partner contributors.
Key facts
- Period Nov 2024 to Oct 2025
- Region Global
- Company size All sizes
- Next data 31 May 2027
Source: Verizon Business, Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), Nov 2024 to Oct 2025
Method and use
How it was measured, and how to use it
How it was measured
- Publisher
- Verizon Business, Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR)
- Source type
- Vendor data: A company measuring its own customers or panel
- What it measures
- 31% of breaches started with attackers exploiting a software vulnerability, now the top way in, ahead of stolen credentials (13%)
- Data period
- Nov 2024 to Oct 2025 (ends 31 Oct 2025)
- Published by the source
- 19 May 2026
- Who is counted
- 31,861 incidents, 22,625 confirmed breaches in 145 countries, 1 Nov 2024 to 31 Oct 2025, from Verizon and partner contributors.
- In the source's words
Exploitation of vulnerabilities is now the most common initial access vector for breaches. It has risen to 31% in this year’s reporting dataset, while credential abuse—the previous leader—is down to 13%.
- Checked at source
- 23 Oct 2026: Read in the Verizon 2026 DBIR PDF on verizon.com. Key findings p.10; base is non-Error, non-Misuse breaches with a known vector (n=19,905). Matches data.js.
- Reuse
- Copyright Verizon. Statistics may be cited as "Verizon 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report" if not modified.. Verizon allows citing statistics unmodified with the citation above and a link to verizon.com/dbir; paraphrasing requires their review; pie charts from DBIR data are forbidden. Use bar, column or table only.
- Next expected update
- 31 May 2027 (Verizon Business, yearly, spring)
- Original page
- www.verizon.com: Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR)
- Data files
- CSV · JSON (stable links)
Full change log
No changes recorded yet. First checked at the source on 23 Oct 2026.
Cite this number
APA
Verizon Business. (2026). 31% of breaches started with attackers exploiting a software vulnerability, now the top way in, ahead of stolen credentials (13%). Via digitaltreed, https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/cybersecurity/breaches-start-with-vulnerability-exploitation
MLA
"31% of breaches started with attackers exploiting a software vulnerability, now the top way in, ahead of stolen credentials (13%)." Verizon Business, Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), Nov 2024 to Oct 2025. digitaltreed, https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/cybersecurity/breaches-start-with-vulnerability-exploitation.
HTML link
<a href="https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/cybersecurity/breaches-start-with-vulnerability-exploitation">31% of breaches started with attackers exploiting a software vulnerability, now the top way in, ahead of stolen credentials (13%)</a> (Verizon Business, Nov 2024 to Oct 2025)
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FAQ
Questions about this number
What is the latest figure for breaches (Global)?
31% of breaches started with attackers exploiting a software vulnerability, now the top way in, ahead of stolen credentials (13%), for Nov 2024 to Oct 2025, according to Verizon Business, Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). We checked it at the source on 23 Oct 2026.
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