Calculators
Data Breach Cost Estimator
Estimate the cost of a data breach from records exposed and response costs, plus the annualised expected loss.
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The tool
Enter your numbers below. Results update as you type, and nothing leaves your browser.
Everything you enter stays on your own machine. Nothing is sent to us or to anyone else, which you can confirm in your browser network tab.
What people use it for
- Making the case for security investment
- Setting cyber insurance limits
- Prioritising data minimisation projects
- Board risk reporting
About this tool
What the Data Breach Cost Estimator does
Breach costs come from investigation, notification, legal work, regulatory penalties and lost business. A per-record figure from published industry studies gives a quick first estimate; adding your fixed response costs and the annual likelihood of a breach gives an expected yearly loss for risk planning.
Formula
- Breach cost = records × cost per record + fixed response costs
- Annualised expected loss = breach cost × annual likelihood
Worked example
Using the starting values in the calculator above:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Records exposed | 50,000 |
| Cost per record | $165 |
| Fixed response costs (forensics, legal) | $150,000 |
| Annual likelihood of a breach | 10% |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated breach cost | $8,400,000 |
| Annualised expected loss | $840,000 |
| All-in cost per record | $168.00 |
How to read the result
Industry studies publish average costs per record that vary by sector and country, and they are averages; very large breaches usually cost less per record.
The annualised expected loss is a useful ceiling for yearly spend on controls that reduce the likelihood or the impact.
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Questions
Questions about this tool
The things clients actually want to know — costs, timelines, ownership and what happens after launch.
Costs include detection, notification, legal fees, regulatory penalties, customer support and lost business. Published averages run into millions for large organisations.
The expected yearly cost of a risk: the cost of one event multiplied by how likely it is in a year.
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