Global Cyber-Attacks Hit Nearly a Third of Organizations, Costing Millions in Downtime and Disruption
A new report from Hiscox reveals that 29% of organizations worldwide experienced at least one successful cyber-attack in the past 12 months, with victims reporting an average of four incidents over the period. The Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2026, published on September 15, surveyed 6,800 security decision-makers across the UK, Europe, and the US, highlighting the financial, operational, and human toll of cyber threats.
Regional Disparities in Attack Frequency and Costs
UK-based firms were the most targeted, with 38% reporting successful attacks, while US organizations faced the lowest rate at 20%. The average cost per incident reached $52,000 globally, but Italy saw the highest financial impact, with an average loss of $134,138 per attack.
Operational and Strategic Fallout
Cyber-attacks caused significant disruptions, with organizations experiencing an average of 32.8 hours of downtime. Beyond immediate financial losses, the long-term effects included:
- 32% delayed growth or new business initiatives
- 31% increased staffing or external expertise costs
- 30% negative impacts on financial performance, valuation, or credit rating
- 29% lost business opportunities or partnerships
- 28% financial penalties
- 26% reputational damage from negative publicity
Human Cost of Cyber-Attacks
The report also underscored the human impact, with 69% of victims reporting employee burnout, high stress, or a toxic workplace culture following an incident. Keven Knight, CEO of Talion Cyber Security, emphasized that downtime extends beyond IT systems, disrupting employee productivity, customer access to services, and overall business operations.
Businesses Ramp Up Cybersecurity Investments
In response to rising threats, organizations are spending an average of $51,000 annually to bolster cyber resilience. Key measures include:
- 62% updating employee cybersecurity training
- 55% hiring additional cybersecurity personnel
- 51% purchasing new security software and tools
- 32% tying executive compensation to cybersecurity outcomes
AI Security Emerges as a Priority
As AI adoption grows, businesses are taking steps to mitigate associated risks:
- 33% upskilling employees in AI and cybersecurity
- 33% expanding AI awareness and training programs
- 32% reviewing cyber insurance to cover AI-related risks
- 31% planning regular AI audits
The report notes that organizations are prioritizing immediate AI risks, such as corrupted training data, vulnerable third-party tools, and reduced human oversight, over speculative future threats.
Source: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/cyberattacks-cost-organizations/
Hiscox cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/hiscox
"id": "HIS1789561673",
"linkid": "hiscox",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "9/2025",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "2",
"explanation": "Attack limited on finance or reputation"{'affected_entities': [{'location': ['UK', 'Europe', 'US'],
'type': 'Organizations worldwide'}],
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2026-09-15',
'description': 'A new report from Hiscox reveals that 29% of organizations '
'worldwide experienced at least one successful cyber-attack in '
'the past 12 months, with victims reporting an average of four '
'incidents over the period. The report highlights the '
'financial, operational, and human toll of cyber threats '
'across the UK, Europe, and the US.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Reputational damage from negative '
'publicity (26%)',
'downtime': '32.8 hours',
'financial_loss': '$52,000 (global average per incident), $134,138 '
'(Italy average per incident)',
'operational_impact': ['Delayed growth or new business initiatives '
'(32%)',
'Increased staffing or external expertise '
'costs (31%)',
'Negative impacts on financial performance, '
'valuation, or credit rating (30%)',
'Lost business opportunities or '
'partnerships (29%)',
'Financial penalties (28%)',
'Reputational damage from negative '
'publicity (26%)']},
'lessons_learned': ['Cyber-attacks cause significant operational and human '
'impacts, including employee burnout and workplace '
'stress.',
'Organizations are increasing cybersecurity investments, '
'including training, personnel, and AI security '
'measures.'],
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Increased cybersecurity '
'spending ($51,000 annually '
'on average)',
'Implementation of AI '
'security measures']},
'recommendations': ['Update employee cybersecurity training (62%)',
'Hire additional cybersecurity personnel (55%)',
'Purchase new security software and tools (51%)',
'Tie executive compensation to cybersecurity outcomes '
'(32%)',
'Upskill employees in AI and cybersecurity (33%)',
'Expand AI awareness and training programs (33%)',
'Review cyber insurance to cover AI-related risks (32%)',
'Plan regular AI audits (31%)'],
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2026-09-15',
'source': 'Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2026'},
{'source': 'Talion Cyber Security (Keven Knight, CEO)'}],
'title': 'Global Cyber-Attacks Hit Nearly a Third of Organizations, Costing '
'Millions in Downtime and Disruption',
'type': ['cyber-attack']}