According to a report from the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), the first half of 2026 has already seen more than 471 million victim notices related to data breaches, significantly surpassing the total of 297.5 million for all of 2025. A major contributor to this surge was a cyber incident involving the education tool Canvas, which accounted for 275 million notices.
The total number of incidents reached 1,803, an increase from 1,732 in the same period last year, suggesting that if this trend continues, the total for 2026 could exceed the 3,321 incidents reported in 2025. James Lee, president of the ITRC, noted that the rise in breaches is not slowing down.
A concerning trend is the increasing involvement of artificial intelligence in these breaches, with a study from IBM indicating that one in four breaches was AI-enabled, marking a 56% increase from the previous year. Cybersecurity remains a top priority for 93% of audit committees at public companies, with many planning to increase their cybersecurity budgets in the coming year.
Additionally, the report highlighted a rise in incidents involving malicious insiders, with 21 such events reported in the first half of 2026, compared to only three for all of 2025. This increase is partly attributed to disgruntled employees stealing information during layoffs.
The ITRC also pointed out that the lack of uniformity in breach notification laws across states affects how much information consumers receive about breaches. For consumers, experts recommend proactive measures such as monitoring credit reports and considering a credit freeze to protect against identity theft