Verizon’s new DBIR finds software vulnerabilities, accelerated by AI, have overtaken stolen passwords as the leading way attackers break in. For Ohio’s “Silicon Heartland,” that means faster patching, stricter vendor controls, and new guardrails on shadow AI inside the enterprise.
For nearly two decades, the most predictable rule of corporate cybersecurity was that human error—falling for phishing scams or losing passwords—was how attackers got in.
Not anymore.
Verizon’s 19th annual Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) finds that exploiting software vulnerabilities has, for the first time in the report’s history, surpassed stolen credentials as the leading entry point for data breaches. AI is accelerating this shift by compressing the time from vulnerability disclosure to exploitation from months to hours, overwhelming traditional patching cycles.
As Ohio cements its “Silicon Heartland” status—with hyperscale data centers, advanced manufacturing, and interconnected healthcare networks—the state’s companies are staring down a capacity crisis in cybersecurity. Attackers are using AI-driven tools to continuously scan for weaknesses, forcing organizations toward near‑real‑time vulnerability management instead of periodic patching.
Third‑party risk is a particular concern for Ohio’s B2B tech and manufacturing supply chains. Breaches involving a third party have surged 60% and now account for nearly half of all incidents, meaning attackers are increasingly going through vendors and partners rather than hitting primary targets directly.
At the same time, employee use of AI tools has spiked from 15% to 45% in a single year, making “shadow AI”—unapproved AI apps quietly used at work—one of the top non‑malicious sources of potential data leakage.
“While the velocity of cyber threats—driven by AI and faster vulnerability exploitation—is increasing, the foundational principles of security and strong risk management remain the most effective defense,” said Daniel Lawson, SVP Global Solutions, Verizon Business. “The DBIR reinforces that these fundamentals still hold as organizations strive for resilience.”
For Ohio CISOs and tech leaders, security is no longer just about stopping employees from clicking bad links. It now means enforcing strict data‑governance around AI, prioritizing rapid patching of known exploited vulnerabilities, and pushing “secure by design” requirements across every vendor and partner in the supply chain.
Read the full Verizon DBIR Report
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