The number of reported data breaches involving consumers’ personal information is on track to exceed records set in 2025, according to analysis from the Identity Theft Resource Center. Through the first half of 2026, more than 471 million victim notices were associated with data compromises, with a single incident at education tool Canvas accounting for over half of that figure at 275 million notices. This compares to 297.5 million notices issued during all of 2025.
The increase in breach incidents reflects a broader cybersecurity challenge for organizations globally. The ITRC documented 1,803 incidents in the first six months of 2026, compared to 1,732 during the same period in 2025. If the second half of the year matches the first half’s pace, the full-year total will surpass the 3,321 security incidents reported for all of 2025. James Lee, president of the ITRC, noted that the upward trend shows no signs of moderating.
Artificial intelligence capabilities are playing an expanding role in enabling data breaches. Between March 2025 and February 2026, approximately one in four breaches involved AI-enabled tactics, representing a 56% increase from the prior year period, according to research from IBM. Additionally, the first half of 2026 saw a significant rise in breaches attributed to malicious insiders—21 incidents compared to three for all of 2025. The ITRC report indicated that some of these insider attacks involved disgruntled laid-off employees and cases where foreign actors used stolen identities and deepfake technology to place remote workers in U.S. companies.
Despite cybersecurity ranking among top priorities for the majority of large companies, with 78% planning to increase their budgets over the following 12 months, breaches continue to proliferate. Consumer protection experts recommend monitoring credit reports, enrolling in credit-monitoring services, and implementing credit freezes at major reporting agencies as defensive measures against fraudulent account creation using compromised personal information.
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