A recent industry report has revealed a staggering increase in data breaches among European manufacturers, with incidents rising nearly 90% over the past year.
According to the latest findings from Verizon Business’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), European manufacturers encountered 1,607 data breaches in the last year, a sharp rise from 849 breaches reported in the previous year, marking an increase of 89.3%. The report underscores an escalating cybersecurity crisis within the sector.
The report highlights that espionage-related motives were involved in 20% of breaches, indicating a growing trend among actors targeting sensitive information. Furthermore, over 90% of the affected organizations were small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), defined as having fewer than 1,000 employees, which emphasizes the critical need for these companies to prioritize cybersecurity measures effectively.
In terms of breach patterns, the report indicates little change among the top three methods of attack within the European manufacturing industry. System Intrusion continues to dominate, accounting for 60% of breaches, significantly outpacing Social Engineering, which accounts for 22% of incidents. Basic Web Application Attacks rank third, but with a mere 9% share. The type of data most frequently compromised remains internal sensitive materials, such as plans, reports, and emails.
The report also sheds light on a troubling shift in cyber threats targeting essential industries, with a striking jump in espionage motivations from just 3% last year to 20%. Despite this rise, financial motivation continues to be the leading factor in breaches, making up 87% of incidents involving manufacturers.
This year’s findings serve as a critical reminder to organizations globally, including those in the EMEA region, to adopt proactive cybersecurity strategies. Companies must take tangible steps to bolster their defenses against these evolving threats, safeguarding essential assets, maintaining customer confidence, and ensuring sustained success in an increasingly digital world.
Craig Robinson, Research Vice President for Security Services at IDC, provided additional context on the report’s findings. He noted a slight improvement in the landscape, with 64% of victimized organizations refraining from paying ransoms, compared to just 50% two years ago. However, he cautioned that many SMBs lacking mature IT and cybersecurity practices continue to face dire consequences, as ransomware was implicated in 88% of breaches. Robinson emphasized the importance of education in cybersecurity, asserting that Verizon’s leadership in disseminating information about attacker motives and techniques is critical in enhancing global awareness and operational readiness against cyber threats.
