The average cost of a data breach to companies has risen to £ 2.8 m according to an annual survey from the Ponemon Institute for IBM . This marks a 29 % increase since 2013 . IBM Security today announced the results of a global study analysing the financial impact of data breaches to a company's bottom line. The number of incidents in 2015 increased 64 % year - on - year . Incidents have also become increasing sophisticated , another factor that has contributed to higher costs . The report found that having an incident response team was the most significant factor that reduced the cost of a data breach , saving an average of £ ##3 per incident .
The average cost of a data breach to companies has risen to £ 2.8 m according to an annual survey from the Ponemon Institute for IBM . This marks a 29 % increase since 2013 . The number of incidents in 2015 increased 64 % year - on - year . Incidents have also become increasing sophisticated , another factor that has contributed to higher costs . The report found that having an incident response team was the most significant factor that reduced the cost of a data breach , saving an average of £ ##3 per incident .