India, Aug. 3 -- India's average cost of a data breach climbed to a record Rs.25.5 crore (Rs.255 million) in 2026, marking a 15.9% year-on-year increase from Rs.22 crore in 2025, according to IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report 2026. The report also found that the average breach affected 39,500 records, up from 38,200 a year earlier, while phishing remained the leading entry point for cyberattacks.

The study, conducted by the Ponemon Institute and sponsored by IBM, examined data breaches experienced by 602 organisations globally between March 2025 and February 2026.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of the cyber threat landscape. According to the report, 26% of malicious breaches in India involved AI-generated attacks...