Top 10 Cybersecurity Statistics Every MSP and IT Professional Should Know in 2025
By Pete Roythorne
It’s no secret that the cyberthreat landscape is evolving faster than ever. From sophisticated ransomware campaigns to silent data exfiltration, today’s attacks are more targeted, more disruptive, and more frequent. This means that if you’re a Managed Service Provider (MSP) or an internal security team, keeping pace with these changes isn’t optional—it’s essential.
Whether you’re managing endpoints, securing cloud environments, or helping clients stay compliant, your decisions need to be driven by the latest intelligence. Understanding current cybersecurity statistics isn’t just about knowing the numbers—it’s about connecting the dots between threat trends and real-world risk. These stats reflect the pressures your clients are facing, the areas where your systems may be vulnerable, and the ways cybercriminals are adapting their tactics.
This past year has brought a surge in both the volume and impact of cyber incidents across industries. Threat actors are targeting not just large enterprises, but increasingly zeroing in on small and mid-sized organizations. And with the cost of breaches reaching record highs and the skills gap widening, there’s never been a more urgent time to re-evaluate your cybersecurity posture.
In this roundup, we’ve handpicked 10 of the most critical cybersecurity statistics published in the past 12 months from trusted industry sources like IBM, Verizon, ENISA, and Gartner. Each one is more than a number—it’s a signal pointing to where MSPs and IT teams need to take action. We’ll break down what each stat means, why it matters, and what you can do to protect your clients and your own business from becoming part of next year’s data.
Let’s dive in—and take a closer look at the trends shaping the future of cybersecurity in 2025.
1. Ransomware Accounts for 28% of Malware Cases Globally
According to the IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2025, ransomware constituted 28% of all malware cases in 2024.
What it means: Ransomware remains one of the most profitable and prevalent attack types for cybercriminals. The increase highlights that despite growing awareness and investment in defensive tools, adversaries continue to successfully encrypt critical business data and demand massive payouts. Attackers are also diversifying their tactics, including double extortion (data theft + encryption), which increases leverage.
Implication: Despite a reported decline in overall ransomware incidents, it remains a significant threat. MSPs and IT teams must continue to prioritize ransomware defenses, including regular data backups, employee training, and robust endpoint protection.
2. Repeat Offenders: Companies Face an Average of 66 Attacks a Year
According to the Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2024, 67% of firms reported an increase in the number of cyberattacks in the past 12 months, with the average number of attacks per organization rising from 63 in 2022/23 to 66 in 2023/24.
What it means: It’s no longer about whether a breach will occur, but when—and how often. Persistent vulnerabilities, evolving threat vectors, and overly complex IT environments contribute to recurring breaches. Once attackers find an entry point, they often revisit the same weak spots.
Implication: This cybersecurity stat is a wake-up call: once isn’t the only risk—repeat incidents are a growing norm. MSPs and internal IT teams alike should implement continuous threat monitoring, bolster security operations with MDR or SIEM tools, and routinely audit access policies. It’s about building long-term cyber-resilience, not just reacting to alerts.
3. The $4.88 Million Question: What Does a Breach Really Cost?
IBM’s 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report indicates that the global average cost of a data breach has risen to $4.88 million, marking a 10% increase from the previous year.
What it means: The financial toll of breaches continues to rise, driven by factors like lost productivity, reputational harm, compliance penalties, and customer churn. The growing attack surface from hybrid work and digital transformation adds to the cost and complexity of response and recovery. For smaller businesses, it’s also important to note that there are also businesses that suffer from data breaches or ransomware attacks that never get reported. While it might be less that $4.45 million, these businesses will still have to spend a considerable amount of time and money on recovery.
Implication: The financial impact is staggering—and growing. For MSPs, this highlights the importance of offering cost-effective, proactive solutions that reduce breach exposure. Internal IT teams in small and medium businesses or enterprises should push for investments in automation, recovery readiness, and endpoint hardening. Everyone needs to think beyond detection to full lifecycle mitigation.
4. It’s (Still) the Humans: 68% of Breaches Involve People
The Verizon 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report highlights that 68% of breaches involved a non-malicious human element, such as errors or social engineering attacks.
What it means: Despite advanced security technology, the human element remains a significant weak spot. From clicking malicious links to misconfiguring cloud settings, people often inadvertently open the door to attackers.
Implication: No amount of tech can protect against poor habits without user education. MSPs should include security awareness training as part of their core service stack. Internal IT departments should run simulated phishing drills, refine onboarding processes, and make cybersecurity second nature for every employee.
5. Phishing Still a Significant Attack Vector
The 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report indicates that phishing was involved in 14% of breaches that included credential theft, with users often falling for phishing emails in less than 60 seconds.
What it means: Phishing is a low-cost, high-return tactic for attackers. Even a single successful email can grant access to credentials, drop malware, or provide lateral movement opportunities across networks. The sophistication of phishing campaigns continues to rise, mimicking trusted brands or internal communications.
Implication: Phishing continues to be a significant method for attackers to gain unauthorized access. Both MSPs and in-house IT teams need to deploy robust email filtering tools, enforce multifactor authentication (MFA), and train end users to spot red flags. Don’t just rely on end users to catch everything—build in safeguards at every layer.
6. SMBs at Risk: 60% Close After a Cyber Attack
Cybersecurity Ventures reports that 60% of small companies go out of business within six months of falling victim to a data breach or cyberattack.
What it means: Small and mid-sized businesses often lack the resources to recover from a cyber incident. With limited staff and tight margins, even short-term disruptions can have long-term consequences.
Implication: Cyber incidents don’t just disrupt—they can end businesses. MSPs should use this cybersecurity stat to frame the business case for affordable, scalable security offerings to their clients. Internal IT teams at SMBs should advocate for strong foundational controls—like backup, patching, and EDR—as essential, not optional.
7. Talent Crunch: 3.5 Million Cybersecurity Jobs Unfilled
Cybersecurity Ventures reported that the global cybersecurity workforce gap reached 3.5 million in 2024, indicating a significant shortage of skilled professionals.
What it means: The talent shortage affects every industry, leading to overworked teams and unfilled security gaps. It also makes hiring and retaining skilled staff a major challenge for IT leaders.
Implication: Staffing gaps remain a challenge for everyone. MSPs can turn this into an opportunity by offering co-managed IT and security services. For internal IT teams, investing in automation, upskilling, and strategic outsourcing can help close the resource gap without sacrificing security coverage.
8. Supply Chain Under Siege: Supply Chain Attacks Account for 15% of Breaches
ENISA’s Threat Landscape 2024 report notes that breaches involving third parties, including supply chain issues, increased significantly, reaching 15% in 2024.
What it means: As businesses become more interconnected, attackers exploit software and service vendors to gain access to multiple targets. These indirect attack paths are often less monitored, making them an attractive vector.
Implication: Supply chain risk can’t be ignored. MSPs should vet third-party software and vendor integrations rigorously and guide clients on secure procurement practices. Internal IT teams must map dependencies, enforce least privilege access, and implement zero trust principles to reduce blast radius in case a supplier is compromised.
9. Cloud Security Gaps: 95% of Companies Hit by Cloud Breach
A 2024 study by the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) found that 95% of surveyed organizations experienced a cloud-related security breach within an 18-month period. Notably, 99% of these breaches were attributed to insecure identities and misconfigurations.
What it means: Organizations are accelerating cloud adoption, but not all are matching that growth with adequate security practices. Misconfigured storage, exposed APIs, and poorly managed identities remain common issues.
Implication: As cloud adoption grows, so do misconfigurations and security blind spots. MSPs should offer cloud security posture management (CSPM) as part of their service set. Internal IT teams should prioritize configuration audits, enforce identity and access management policies, and ensure encryption and logging are enabled by default.
10. Budgets Are Up: 90% of Orgs Boosting Cyber Spend
Forrester indicates that 90% of organizations intend to boost their cybersecurity budgets, reflecting the heightened awareness of cyber risks.
What it means: Increased investment signals recognition of cyber risks at the board level. However, more budget doesn’t guarantee better security unless paired with strategic decision-making and the right tools.
Implication: Budgets are growing—but so are expectations. MSPs should align their offerings with clients’ new priorities: automation, compliance, and integrated threat detection. Internal IT teams in organizations of all sizes must be strategic—prioritizing tools that deliver measurable ROI, consolidate complexity, and address specific organizational risks.
Ready to Strengthen Your Cyber-Resilience? N‑able Has Your Back
These trends are more than just numbers—they’re reminders that staying ahead of cyberthreats takes the right tools, the right approach, and the right partner. Whether you’re an MSP protecting dozens of clients or an IT professional managing internal infrastructure, N‑able offers a purpose-built portfolio to help you defend, detect, and recover with confidence.
From endpoint protection to backup and recovery, our cybersecurity solutions are designed to meet the demands of today—and scale for what’s next:
Provides cloud-first, secure backup and disaster recovery for servers, workstations, and Microsoft 365®—because resilience starts with recovery.
N‑able N‑central® and N‑sight™
A Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) plays a central role in your security stack, providing visibility into your networks, giving you powerful automation, real-time visibility, and centralized control across your IT ecosystem. N‑able provides two different platforms N‑central and N‑sight, so that MSPs and internal IT teams can choose the best solution for their size and growth trajectory.
MDR delivers 24/7 threat monitoring, detection, and response. Leveraging machine learning and analytics, this proactive service identifies anomalies, filters out noise, and swiftly neutralizes threats before they spread. Acting as an extension of existing security teams, MDR reduces alert fatigue and enhances overall threat response capabilities.
N‑able XDR consolidates security intelligence from multiple sources, providing a unified and comprehensive security view. By integrating data across endpoints, networks, and cloud environments, XDR enhances threat detection and response, empowering IT teams to identify and mitigate risks faster and more effectively.
Endpoints are often the most vulnerable entry points in an IT infrastructure. N‑able Managed EDR strengthens endpoint security with real-time threat detection and response, using advanced behavioral analytics and machine learning. Unlike traditional EDR solutions, N‑able Managed EDR includes an always-on team of security experts who manage, analyze, and respond to threats around the clock, ensuring rapid remediation and reducing the burden on internal teams.
Mail Assure™: Blocking Phishing at the Source
Email remains one of the most common entry points for attackers. N‑able Mail Assure acts as a first line of defense, using advanced filtering to block phishing emails and malicious attachments before they ever reach users. By intercepting these threats early, Mail Assure helps prevent cybercriminals from harvesting credentials or bypassing MFA.
Securing credentials is a critical part of cybersecurity. N‑able Passportal provides a streamlined password management and documentation solution, enabling IT professionals to enforce strong authentication practices while reducing the risk of credential misuse and unauthorized access.
DNS Filtering adds an essential layer of protection by blocking access to malicious websites, preventing phishing attacks, and reducing the risk of malware infections. Even if a phishing attempt bypasses other defenses, DNS Filtering ensures that users cannot access dangerous links, significantly strengthening an organization’s security framework.
At N‑able, we’re committed to helping you build a cyber-resilient future with solutions that are comprehensive, intuitive, and partner-first. We know your success depends on more than just protection—it’s about being empowered to act decisively and support your business or clients with confidence.
Explore our cybersecurity solutions today—and let’s build a stronger, safer tomorrow, together. Click here to explore N‑able’s Cybersecurity Solutions
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