Kroll Report Finds Third-Party Breaches Impact 70% of Affected Individuals
Kroll's 2026 annual Data Breach Outlook reveals that 69% of surveyed organizations experienced a data breach in the past year, with 34% suffering multiple incidents. A significant trend identified is the disproportionate impact of third-party breaches; 69% of all individuals affected in Kroll cases were compromised via a vendor or service provider rather than the primary organization. The technology sector emerged as the highest risk for mass exposure, accounting for 79% of individuals impacted by third-party breaches despite ranking only seventh in total organizations breached. This highlights how single vulnerabilities in software suppliers can create massive domino effects across multiple industries. The report also notes that increasing AI integration is complicating data governance and expanding the attack surface for both human and non-human identities.
Topics: cybersecurity trends data breach technology sector risks third-party risk