Exploitation of vulnerabilities has become the most common way attackers gain initial access to a target’s systems – and organizations are having a harder time patching those vulnerabilities, according to the Verizon 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). This article, with insights from Verizon associate director and DBIR team lead Alex Pinto, parses those findings and distills aspects of the DBIR concerning ransomware’s onward march; the roles of humans, third parties and credential abuse in breaches; where AI sits in the cyber landscape; key characteristics of breaches and cyber incidents; and industry-specific data. See “Leading Attack Vectors and Other Key Findings From Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report” (Jun. 25, 2025).