What’s a data breach cost? For the average small business, about $86,000

Michael Cottuli

When it comes to maintaining your business, a report from Data Center Knowledge wants to remind you that cyber security is key. Companies like Microsoft talk all day and night about how vital it is to keep your information secure, but sometimes it’s hard to really understand the real-world impact that a security breach can have.

According to the report (which cites research from Kaspersky Lab), the average small business loses $86,000 when someone breaches their security. For larger businesses, this average skyrockets up to $861,000.

Beyond just outlining the potential dangers of security breaches, the report also talks a bit about just how likely it is that your business can be compromised. According to Kaspersky’s research, 77% of businesses in the US have gotten between one and five breaches over the past year. If you’re looking at a global scale, that number shifts to 82%. Knowing that, it’s no wonder that more and more businesses are deciding to dedicate tons of their resources to making sure that they’re ready to minimize risks when a hacker inevitably works their way in.