Data breaches can seriously threaten businesses, resulting in significant financial losses, legal ramifications, and reputational damage.

According to the data presented by Atlas VPN, 42% of IT leaders have been told to keep a data breach confidential. Furthermore, more than half of businesses admitted to experiencing a data breach in the last 12 months.

Nearly 30% of IT professionals had kept a data breach a secret when they knew it should have been reported.

When looking at the results by country, US businesses were the least responsible when dealing with data breaches.

Companies in Germany were the most responsible when dealing with data breaches. Of the IT leaders surveyed in the country, 35% were advised to maintain confidentiality regarding a data breach, but only 15% kept it quiet.

Furthermore, 54% were neither told to nor kept a breach confidential.

In UK businesses, 44% of IT professionals were suggested to stay silent about a data breach, and 36% did.

French IT leaders were the least likely to be told to keep a data breach confidential, as only a quarter encountered such an experience. Meanwhile, 37% of IT managers working for companies in Italy were advised to stay quiet about a data breach. The same was recommended to 35% of professionals in Spain.

​​Cybersecurity writer at Atlas VPN, Vilius Kardelis, shares his thoughts on data breach management: “In an age where data breaches have become a grim reality, such practice undermines the fundamental principles of transparency, accountability, and proactive risk mitigation.

“Organisations must recognise that concealing data breaches erodes customers’ trust and hinders the collective effort required to combat cyber threats.”

Huge numbers of businesses suffering data breaches

To stay ahead in the face of technological advancements, businesses must recognise the gravity of the situation and adjust their security measures accordingly.

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Overall, 52% of companies have experienced a data breach in the last 12 months. However, when we take a closer look at geographical statistics, one country stands out among the others.

About three out of four IT leaders in the US admitted that their company suffered a data breach in the last 12 months.

Meanwhile, 51% of businesses in the UK experienced a data breach in the last year. IT leaders working in Germany and Italy disclosed that nearly 50% of their businesses suffered a data incident. Data breaches also affected 44% of companies in Spain, while French businesses were the least likely to suffer such incidents, with only 42% experiencing data thefts.