Verizon Just Changed the Answer. For 19 Years, Stolen Credentials Were the #1 Breach Entry Point. Not Anymore.
Breaking Research Threat Intelligence May 2026 · 8 min read The 2026 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report dropped this week — the 19th edition, analyzing 22,000 confirmed breaches across 145 countries. For the first time in the report's history, unpatched software vulnerabilities have overtaken stolen credentials as the leading way attackers get in. Here's what that means for every small business. Every year in May, Verizon publishes the Data Breach Investigations Report — the most widely cited primary source in cybersecurity, built from real breach data contributed by law enforcement agencies, incident response firms, and security organizations worldwide. This year's 19th edition analyzed over 31,000 security incidents and more than 22,000 confirmed data breaches across 145 countries. It is the largest dataset in the report's history. The headline finding will surprise anyone who's been following...