Ooma’s new infographic shows that data breaches are a huge concern and much more common than we would like to think. Their new graphic offers 30 statistic-based facts that show us the harsh reality. Companies have limited time to react to data breaches before they hit the news cycle, and software developers have to stay on their toes to prevent security threats. Data breaches hand over customer contact details, proprietary software, and employee information to bad actors, so taking these threats seriously is of the utmost importance.

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Record High Levels of Financial Damage

The financial stakes of data breaches have never been higher. The data shows that in 2024, the average global cost of a data breach reached an all-time high of $4.88 million, a 10% increase. On average, American organizations bear the highest costs, at $9.36 million per breach. The U.S. healthcare industry is hit the hardest, with average data breach costs around $9.77 million.

Mega breaches incur the highest costs and the most damage. A mega breach involves over a million records and costs an enormous $375 million to rectify. The largest data breach was the Change Healthcare attack in February 2024, which exposed 190 million medical records and caused over $2 billion in damages. This was the largest medical data breach in American history.

Human Error Leads to Cyberattacks

55% of all data breaches are malicious attacks, with the remaining attacks split between human error and system failures. This shows that nearly half of breaches are due to internal vulnerabilities instead of being caused by the power of a sophisticated external attack. Out of all applications, Microsoft Office suffers 69.1% of cyberattacks, which means that everyday office tools can become a major target, taking advantage of employee vulnerability.

When someone inside an organization leads the attack, the expenses are highest, averaging $4.99 million. Ransomware is still a big danger, with the costs of attacks increasing by 500% between 2023 and 2024 and the average recovery cost around $2.73 million.

Delays in Detection and Containment

The amount of time it takes for organizations to detect a data breach is a bit shocking. It takes an average of 204 days to discover the breach and then another 73 days to contain it. That’s a nearly 10-month data exposure window. Most distressing is the fact that personal data breaches take the longest to detect and contain – an average of 292 days.

Recovery and Data Breach Prevention

The aftermath of a data breach remains a big challenge. Only 12% of businesses report making a full financial recovery after the breach. 70% of breached organizations have significant disruptions to business, and only 1% describe the breach as low-impact. Healthcare businesses have the longest-lasting effects with major damage to their reputation. They need to spend 79% more on marketing for the two years following a data breach. Strategic investments in cybersecurity offer stronger protection, and using AI in security operations can save around $2.2 million. Overall, this graphic emphasizes the importance of investing in strong cybersecurity.

A new study from the PA Requirements team unveiled regional patterns in children’s soda consumption across the U.S. Some states have consumption rates up to five times higher than others, revealing some truly alarming statistics. The map is based on the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which included 42 states in a week-long analysis of soda drinking behavior. The end result is a map that paints a concerning picture of soda consumption among American children.

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West Virginia is at the top of the list, with 22.5% of high schoolers there reporting that they drank soda twice or more every day. That’s one in four West Virginia teens having several sodas every single day. Kentucky is close behind, with 18.5% of teens drinking multiple sodas, followed by Mississippi at 17.1%. These numbers seem especially high compared to the state with the lowest consumption, Massachusetts. Only 4.9% of teenagers there reported drinking multiple sodas a day.

The survey asked students to report their soda consumption with one of three answers each day: didn’t drink any soda, drank one soda, or drank two or more sodas. Responses show that children in Southern states drank the most soda.

Unfortunately, the results show us more than beverage preferences. There are a lot of health implications we can glean from these results. One soda contains 7 to 10 teaspoons of sugar, comprised of high-fructose corn syrup. For small children, the impacts of consuming so much processed sugar are even more pronounced. High sugar consumption is linked to obesity, dental disease, sleep disruption, and type 2 diabetes.

Children are also more prone to developing a sugar addiction. Drinking too much sugar leads children to develop a sugar addiction and symptoms of excessive sugar consumption, which include weight gain, mood swings, and trouble focusing.

The map colors show us a “sugar belt” across the Southern United States, with seven of the top highest consuming states located in the South. Research has shown that education impacts nutritional choices as well as income levels. Some of the states on the high end of the spectrum have lower public school ratings and high poverty levels, so it seems this isn’t coincidental. Culture may play a part as well. With many soda companies originating in the South, it might be that Southerners enjoy soda more and have normalized having a soda with meals.

Understanding soda consumption rates and health risks can help parents and educators make informed decisions about health choices for children. We don’t always realize how much soda we’re consuming until we look at hard data like this. This map and research underscore the need for soda-drinking interventions, especially in certain regions. While soda is a good treat, it’s not intended to be drunk daily, especially not for children. Through studies like this, awareness, and education, we can improve the health of American children.

When dating apps connect people all around the world, sparking more long-distance relationships than ever, this prompts a fascinating question: does region affect what we find attractive? A new study from NapLab sheds some light on the answers, revealing that location does seem to affect what features Americans find most attractive.

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The survey had 1,012 participants across 50 states. Their approach was straightforward, asking participants three questions: which body part do you find most attractive on others, what is your gender, and what state do you live in? This method allowed the team to map out the results across America, showing us patterns based on location while challenging some of what we thought we knew about universal standards of beauty.

The research reinforced some of what we already know about what different genders find most attractive. For example, men are believed to be most drawn to features associated with fertility. This held true in the NapLab study, showing that 25.82% of men are most attracted to buttocks and 20.60% are most attracted to breasts.

Women are thought to be drawn to more emotional aspects of a relationship, which holds true in what they’re attracted to. The study showed women being most drawn to expressive features, with 26.10% saying they find the face most attractive, 26.09% favoring eyes, and 17.39% answering smile.

This research helps show how factors beyond biology could influence attraction. Climate might play a role, as we can see from Hawaii’s results. Its tropical climate and plentiful beaches mean more skin exposed and a bigger emphasis on physical fitness. Hawaii was the only state in which women found abs most attractive. In some of the rural states, men were predominantly attracted to buttocks. On the opposite end of the spectrum, more conservative states seemed more hesitant to express sexual attraction, stating that they found smiles and eyes most attractive. This indicates that religious background and other cultural norms can affect what people are attracted to or what they admit feeling attracted to.

Despite these variations, there were things that Americans had in common across the nation. Almost no respondents said they were most attracted to skin, feet, or hands. Neck and jawline received zero votes. It seems there are some biologically driven constants that geography doesn’t change.

This research shows that there is no universal agreement on what features are most attractive. There’s already been plenty of scientific research on what we’re biologically attracted to and why, but this study shows other factors might be in play. While some of our feelings are driven by biological impulses, it’s clear that culture, climate, and other regional factors change what we’re attracted to. This is a fun study for couples to discuss together, as well as giving armchair sociologists some food for thought. Find many more intriguing insights in the details of this map!