In 2020, the average cost for a data breach was highest for state-sponsored breaches. Data breaches caused by nation states amounted to an average of 4.43 million U.S. dollars, ahead of data breaches by hacktivists or financially motivated breaches. Nation states accounted for 13 percent of malicious data breaches in 2020.
Costliest threat actors in malicious data breaches worldwide in 2020, by average cost
(in million U.S. dollars)
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Cyber Defense Magazine, & Ponemon Institute. (August 5, 2020). Costliest threat actors in malicious data breaches worldwide in 2020, by average cost (in million U.S. dollars) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved April 30, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/329647/external-actor-motives-within-web-app-attacks/
Cyber Defense Magazine, und Ponemon Institute. "Costliest threat actors in malicious data breaches worldwide in 2020, by average cost (in million U.S. dollars)." Chart. August 5, 2020. Statista. Accessed April 30, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/329647/external-actor-motives-within-web-app-attacks/
Cyber Defense Magazine, Ponemon Institute. (2020). Costliest threat actors in malicious data breaches worldwide in 2020, by average cost (in million U.S. dollars). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: April 30, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/329647/external-actor-motives-within-web-app-attacks/
Cyber Defense Magazine, and Ponemon Institute. "Costliest Threat Actors in Malicious Data Breaches Worldwide in 2020, by Average Cost (in Million U.S. Dollars)." Statista, Statista Inc., 5 Aug 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/329647/external-actor-motives-within-web-app-attacks/
Cyber Defense Magazine & Ponemon Institute, Costliest threat actors in malicious data breaches worldwide in 2020, by average cost (in million U.S. dollars) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/329647/external-actor-motives-within-web-app-attacks/ (last visited April 30, 2025)
Costliest threat actors in malicious data breaches worldwide in 2020, by average cost (in million U.S. dollars) [Graph], Cyber Defense Magazine, & Ponemon Institute, August 5, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/329647/external-actor-motives-within-web-app-attacks/
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