UK residents have experienced approximately five instances of data breaches since 2004
A recent report by Surfshark highlights a significant increase in data breaches globally, with the United States leading the pack. In the second quarter of 2025, approximately 93.6 million user accounts were compromised, with the US accounting for over 42.5 million breached accounts, representing a 12,272 breaches per 100,000 people.
The surge in breaches is attributed to the proliferation of ransomware affiliates exploiting shifts in criminal networks and targeting lucrative sectors. Despite a reported 43% drop in ransomware attacks in Q2 2025 compared to Q1, the broader cybercrime ecosystem saw a net increase in the number of active ransomware groups year-on-year, reaching 96 unique groups in the first half of 2025.
Key disrupted groups included RansomHub and Clop, but new ransomware affiliates moved across platforms following the takedown of major groups, leading to a wider variety of attack methods and targets. The most affected sectors were services, healthcare, technology, legal, finance, industrials, and consumer retail.
In the UK, the number of breached accounts dropped, but the number of leaked accounts increased. Around 7.7 billion unique email addresses were leaked, meaning that a single email address has been breached approximately three times. For every 100 people, 94 unique email addresses and 281 accounts are breached.
The UK's biggest data breach involved the leak of 32,272,135 unique British emails in an underground forum by a hacker known as Addka72424. Other notable incidents include the discovery that Gravatar could be abused for mass data collection of its profiles by web crawlers and bots, exposing 2,856,737 UK accounts. Additionally, around 5,686,838 British emails were leaked after a Wattpad database containing 270 million records was offered for free on hacker forums.
The consequences of these data breaches can be severe, with the compromised information potentially used for identity theft, targeted scams, or sold on the dark web for further illegal use. Nearly two-thirds of breached UK users were put in danger of account takeover that could lead to identity theft, extortion, or other cybercrimes.
In response, Keeper Security, a trusted and valued provider for thousands of businesses and millions of employees, is offering a 30% discount on its Business Starter and Business plans. Users are encouraged to take advantage of this offer to secure their sensitive information and protect their digital identities.
As the cyber threat landscape continues to evolve, it is crucial for individuals and businesses to remain vigilant and take proactive measures to safeguard their data. The report serves as a reminder that crucial information shared with businesses is not always kept safe and secure, and that the risks of data breaches are real and ongoing.
References
- Cybercrime Trends Report, Q2 2025
- RansomHub and Clop Takedowns Impact Cybercrime Ecosystem
- The Evolution of Ransomware: A Comprehensive Analysis
- Global Cybersecurity Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Component (Solutions, Services), By End-Use (Banking, Financial Services and Insurance, IT and Telecommunications, Retail, Government, Healthcare, Others), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2028
Enhancing cybersecurity measures becomes increasingly crucial as data breaches continue to surge, notably in sectors such as technology, which have become major targets for ransomware attacks. In light of this, it's essential for businesses to invest in comprehensive infrastructure security to protect sensitive information and digital identities.
The escalating cybercrime ecosystem underscores the need for proactive cybersecurity measures, as the risk of data breaches remains high and continually evolves. With breaches leading to potential identity theft, account takeovers, and other cybercrimes, it's essential for individuals and businesses to prioritize cybersecurity as a critical component of their overall infrastructure.
