Hyderabad, Aug. 4 -- The average cost of a data breach in India has hit an all-time high of Rs 25.5 crore in 2026, a rise of nearly 16 per cent from Rs 22 crore last year, according to IBM's annual Cost of a Data Breach Report released on Monday, August 3.

The report, conducted by the Ponemon Institute and analysed by IBM, is based on breaches experienced by 602 organisations globally between March 2025 and February 2026. The average breach in India also grew in scale, with 39,500 records compromised on average, up from 38,200 in 2025.

Phishing, including voice and SMS phishing, was the most common initial attack vector in India, accounting for 19 per cent of malicious breaches, followed by drive-by compromise at 16 per cent and supply ...