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# CHART: Nigeria Witnessed a 64% Increase in Data Breaches in Q1 2023
- URL: https://www.techloy.com/nigeria-data-breaches-in-q1-2023/
- Published: 2023-05-26T12:50:53.000Z
- Updated: 2023-05-26T12:50:53.000Z
- Author: Acquah Nana Yeboah
- Tags: / Insights, / Cybersecurity, Tech in Nigeria

With the rise of digital technology in Nigeria, data breaches are also on the rise. Surfshark, an Amsterdam-based cybersecurity firm, has released a recent global study revealing Nigeria's position as the 32nd most breached country in the first quarter of 2023.

The study comes at a time when Nigeria is experiencing a surge in data breaches due to its growing digital transformation and increased internet connectivity.   
  
In the first quarter of 2023, Nigeria witnessed a significant increase in data breaches, with 82,000 leaked accounts recorded. This marks a 64% rise compared to the previous quarter. However, there was a global decline in data breaches during the same period, with 41.6 million accounts breached worldwide. This represents almost a 50% decrease from the nearly 81 million breaches reported in the fourth quarter of 2022.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2023/05/image-579.png)

Data breaches occur when hackers gain unauthorized access to sensitive user information, including names, email addresses, passwords, and banking details, which are then leaked or exploited. According to a [report ](https://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/3R8N1DZJ)by IBM, the average cost of a data breach in 2022 was $4.35 million.

The study also highlights Russia as the leader in data breaches, with 6.6 million breaches, accounting for one-sixth of all global breaches during the first quarter. The United States ranks second with 5 million breaches, followed by Taiwan with 3.9 million breaches after experiencing significant quarter-over-quarter growth. France and Spain recorded 3.2 million breaches each.