Cost of a Data Breach 2023: Geographical Breakdowns

Data breaches can occur anywhere in the world, but they are historically more common in specific countries. Typically, countries with high internet usage and digital services are more prone to data breaches.

To that end, IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023 looked at 553 organizations of various sizes across 16 countries and geographic regions, and 17 industries. In the report, the top five costs of a data breach by country or region (measured in USD millions) for 2023 are: United States $9.48, Middle East $8.07, Canada $5.13, Germany $4.67, and Japan $4.52.

Is there a root cause for the top countries on the list? What factors are at play? Are some countries more susceptible to social engineering attacks like phishing?

While it’s difficult to quantify, the high costs in the top five countries can be attributed to several factors.