Summary
The 2025 Breach Barometer is a report that documents data breaches affecting U.S. patient and health data, building on previous years' findings. It outlines significant trends observed in 2024, where over 305 million patient records were breached, marking a 26% increase from 2023. The report identifies key drivers of these breaches, including insider threats and hacking incidents, which were responsible for the majority of reported breaches. Insider errors alone resulted in nearly 16 million breached records. Additionally, the report highlights the concerning delays in breach notifications, with an average of 205 days taken to notify affected individuals. The financial impact of healthcare data breaches is also discussed, with an average cost of $9.77 million per incident in 2024. The report emphasizes the need for improved cybersecurity measures and better risk management practices, particularly concerning business associates, which accounted for a significant portion of breached records. Overall, the report serves as a critical resource for understanding the evolving landscape of healthcare data security.
