December 03, 2025
Over 8,000 Breaches Show Cybersecurity Struggling to Contain AI Risk
More than 8,000 global data breaches in the first half of 2025, exposing an estimated 345 million records, are not only a security headline but a customer experience warning signal.
Experian’s newly released 2026 Data Breach Industry Forecast reveals that cybersecurity defences are losing ground with the way artificial intelligence is changing the scale and sophistication of digital crime.
AI has become central to how fraud and intrusion are executed. The forecast outlines six emerging threat shifts, including synthetic identities built from blends of real and fabricated data, autonomous AI agents capable of running continuous attack campaigns with minimal human input, and “shape-shifting” malware designed to constantly alter its behavior to avoid security detection.
The effect is a cyber risk environment that is faster, more personalised, and harder to predict than anything organisations have previously faced. Even longer-term threats are now serious enough to enter mainstream security planning rather than theoretical discussions.
Digital & Self-Service Experiences Most Vulnerable
The geographic concentration of risk underlines how broad the exposure has become. Among Experian’s clients, the countries most heavily impacted by breaches were the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, all markets where self-service platforms, digital onboarding, and data-driven personalisation sit at the heart of customer experience strategies.
While the technical details dominate the forecast, the customer outcomes reveal the deeper challenge. Experian’s consumer research across the U.S. and UK shows a huge credibility gap between brand security claims and public confidence.
Twenty-five percent of millennials report being victims of identity theft in the last year, with nearly a quarter of all respondents falling for phishing attempts at work or at home. More than 80% are concerned that AI will soon enable the creation of fake identities that are indistinguishable from real people, raising doubts about the effectiveness of digital verification journeys that customers interact with every day.
Workplace anxiety around this matter is growing, particularly in the United States, where 35% of adults worry they could be personally liable for losses caused by cybersecurity mistakes on the job. Meanwhile, 69% do not believe, or are unsure, that banks and retailers are adequately prepared for AI-powered cyberattacks, and 76% expect cybercrime to continue increasing because of AI rather than levelling off.
UK respondents express similar unease. A third of respondents fear professional reputational damage tied to cybersecurity errors, while 25% of millennial adults experienced identity theft in the past year. From a CX standpoint, the most damaging statistic may be what happens after incidents occur: 62% of breach victims say organisations failed to provide adequate support once their data was compromised.
While prevention remains critical, the quality of response, communication, and care after a breach is just as influential on brand trust.
