Study Reveals Small Businesses Face Majority of Data Breaches in 2025
Hackers are increasingly targeting small businesses this year, with recent data from Proton showing that 71% of data breaches impact organizations with fewer than 250 employees. This trend highlights the growing cybersecurity risks faced by smaller enterprises.
Key Findings on Data Breaches
- In 2025, nearly 800 data breach incidents were reported, exposing over 300 million user records.
- 23% of these breaches targeted businesses with fewer than 10 employees.
- 48% involved businesses sized between 10 and 250 employees.
- Overall, small businesses account for 71% of all data breach victims.
"Data breaches have become troublingly common, with each cyber attack putting businesses at risk of financial loss and even insolvency."
"Small businesses are targeted more than large enterprises when it comes to cybersecurity threats."
Why Small Businesses Are More Vulnerable
Smaller companies often lack the resources and defenses that large corporations have, making them easier targets for cybercriminals. The increasing frequency of attacks puts significant pressure on small businesses to strengthen their cybersecurity measures to survive.
Implications for Business Owners
As cyber threats evolve, small businesses must prioritize cybersecurity and invest in protective measures to reduce their risk of data breaches and the severe financial consequences that follow.
Summary
This study underscores the urgent need for small businesses to improve cybersecurity as 71% of data breaches in 2025 target firms with fewer than 250 employees, posing serious financial risks.