- Verizon corroborates the human element, making it clear that employees remain a major vulnerability in security breaches. Effective Human Risk Management (HRM) is a necessity.
- Human-based data points, such as phishing and Business Email Compromise (BEC), emphasize attackers’ growing reliance on manipulative social engineering tactics.
- Threat intelligence, like that provided by Mimecast, is foundational in mitigating human risk and countering these evolving threats.
Blog
Verizon: 60% of breaches involve human error
Email and collaboration platforms continue to be a prime target for attackers
By The Mimecast Cyber Insights Blog Team
Key Points
The 2025 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) delivers a clear warning: nearly 60% of breaches involve a human element, whether through error, manipulation, or malicious misuse. As phishing attacks become more personalized and collaboration platforms expose more sensitive content, security teams need to rethink how they manage risk at the individual level. For time-strapped CISOs and security leaders, this year's DBIR offers sharp takeaways, especially around who is most at risk, how attacks are evolving, and why a one-size-fits-all approach to Human Risk Management no longer works.
DBIR confirms need for human-first security strategies
The Verizon DBIR draws from over 22,000 incidents, including 12,000 confirmed breaches. One trend stands out: a small number of users are driving most of the risk. Verizon found that 8% of employees account for 80% of incidents. This means targeted interventions, like individual risk profiling and customized security education, can drastically reduce exposure.
The DBIR also emphasizes that most social engineering attacks, especially phishing and BEC, are effective because they rely on psychological manipulation, not technical exploits. The takeaway: protecting people requires more than training. It demands visibility into behavior and intent. The report suggests comprehensive strategies, moving beyond basic tools to focus on behavioral insights, custom training, and adaptive actions that address risky user behavior.
Email threats/collaboration tools compound human risk
Email and collaboration platforms remain a prime target for attackers. The DBIR corroborates that these are critical threat vectors, used to exploit human vulnerabilities and manipulate access to sensitive data.
New in 2025 is the increasing role of generative AI in crafting hyper-personalized lures that evade detection. Mimecast contributed intelligence to the DBIR report, demonstrating how AI-generated phishing emails and sophisticated Business Email Compromise attempts continue to outmaneuver traditional defenses. We uncovered an alarming growth in advanced malicious emails leveraging AI’s capacity to bypass standard filters with convincing personalization.
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