The global average cost of a data breach jumped to an all-time high for the second year in a row, but companies can reel in the ballooning drag on profits by adopting artificial intelligence (AI), according to an IBM report.

The “Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024,” published Tuesday, surveyed 604 companies between March 2023 and February in 16 countries/regions, with 19 years of data benchmarked to date. Year over year, the average cost of a breach climbed 10 percent from $4.5 million to $4.9 million. Post-breach response and lost business costs increased 11 percent above 2023 levels, according to the poll.

Adrianne Appel writes regulatory news, policy, and trends for Compliance Week. She previously reported about policy developments for Bloomberg Law and Bloomberg Government. Email: adrianne.appel@complianceweek.com LinkedIn:...