Bitdefender Survey: 55.2% of Incident-Affected Respondents Told to Keep Incidents Confidential
Summary
Bitdefender’s 2026 assessment of 1,200 security and IT professionals across six countries reports that 55.2% of respondents who experienced an incident in the prior year were told to keep it confidential; the U.S. rate was 68.6%.
Key points
- The assessment surveyed 1,200 IT and cybersecurity professionals at organizations with 500 or more employees in six countries.
- Among respondents who experienced a security incident or breach in the prior 12 months, 55.2% said they were instructed to keep it confidential, despite believing authorities should have been notified.
- The U.S. had the highest reported rate of pressure to stay quiet, at 68.6%; Germany and the U.K. were reported at 57.2%.
- The article frames the self-reported findings as a governance issue involving incident transparency, accountability and compliance.
Article Details
- Topic
- Breach transparency and organizational pressure to keep security incidents confidential
Countries
FranceWe surveyed 1,200 IT and cybersecurity professionals across six countries: France, Germany, Italy, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.GermanyGermany and the United Kingdom also showed high levels of confidentiality pressure.ItalyWe surveyed 1,200 IT and cybersecurity professionals across six countries: France, Germany, Italy, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.SingaporeWe surveyed 1,200 IT and cybersecurity professionals across six countries: France, Germany, Italy, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.United KingdomGermany and the United Kingdom also showed high levels of confidentiality pressure.United StatesThe United States reported the highest pressure to stay quiet about incidents.