How to Reduce the Financial Impact of a Data Breach
Key Strategies to Reduce Data Breach Costs
1. Use a Hybrid Cloud Strategy
With 45% of breaches happening in the cloud , how you store data matters. Organizations using a hybrid cloud model — combining public and private cloud environments — experience significantly lower breach costs compared to those relying only on public clouds.
Interestingly, hybrid setups even outperform fully private cloud systems when it comes to security and cost control.
2. Build and Practice an Incident Response Plan
You don’t need to be a big company to create a plan for handling cyber incidents. An incident response (IR) plan gives your team clear steps to follow during a breach — like disconnecting infected devices or alerting IT immediately.
Practicing this plan regularly helps teams act faster and smarter under pressure. It can cut breach costs by an average of $2.66 million per incident.
3. Implement Zero Trust Security
Zero trust isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a powerful approach that assumes no user or device should be trusted automatically. Core elements include:
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Context-based access controls
- Application whitelisting
Organizations that adopt zero trust spend about $1 million less on average per breach. Yet, nearly 79% of critical infrastructure companies haven’t adopted it yet .
4. Leverage AI and Automation Tools
Security tools powered by AI and automation offer some of the biggest savings — reducing breach costs by up to 65.2% .
These tools help detect threats early, automate responses, and stop attacks before they escalate. Examples include advanced threat protection and automated incident response platforms.
Where to Start?
Improving your cybersecurity doesn’t have to happen overnight. Start with low-effort, high-impact actions like enabling MFA across your organization.
Then move on to bigger projects, like building and practicing an incident response plan or shifting to a hybrid cloud setup.
Working with an experienced IT provider can help you build a clear roadmap tailored to your business needs.
Need Help Strengthening Your Cybersecurity?
Let us help you build a strong defense strategy that protects your data — and your bottom line. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and start reducing your risk now.