Key Findings from the 2026 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report

This document is a report detailing the key findings from the 2026 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). It outlines how the report reframes data breaches as data-exchange incidents, highlighting that two-thirds of stolen data consists of emails, plans, and reports. The report identifies a significant increase in third-party involvement in breaches, which reached 48%. It also notes a fourfold increase in the use of Shadow AI, now a prevalent insider behavior. The document emphasizes the shift in vulnerability exploitation as the primary access vector, surpassing credential abuse. Additionally, it discusses the implications of ungoverned access to AI tools, particularly concerning sensitive internal data. The report advocates for a unified governance approach to manage data access across various platforms, suggesting that prohibition of AI access is ineffective and that a governed control plane is necessary to mitigate risks associated with data breaches.