New data reveals the financial and operational impact of cyberattacks and how businesses strengthen their defenses after an incident

New research from Clutch finds that 68% of small businesses have experienced a cyberattack or security breach, despite 95% believing they had sufficient security measures in place and 64% rating their cybersecurity posture as strong.

Clutch surveyed 562 U.S. small business owners who had experienced a cyberattack to understand how businesses recover, respond and strengthen their cybersecurity after an incident.

The research found that cyberattacks can create operational and financial consequences:

• 70% experienced operational downtime or service disruption.
• 52% experienced financial losses.
• 46% experienced the loss or theft of customer data.
• 31% incurred costs between $50,000 and $249,000, while 26% spent between $250,000 and $999,000.
• 84% had experienced a cyberattack before, showing that one incident does not prevent another.

Despite the damage, 86% of businesses recovered within three months. Many strengthened cybersecurity by replacing outdated software (71%), increasing IT budgets (63%) and hiring cybersecurity staff (40%).

“Recovering from a cyberattack is not just about getting systems back online. Businesses need to understand what happened, address vulnerabilities and reduce the risk of another incident,” said Hannah Hicklen, Clutch analyst.

External expertise also played a key role, with 91% working with an outside provider. Seventy-one percent hired a cybersecurity incident response firm, while 47% worked with a managed security services provider.

Following an attack, 91% feel better prepared to prevent one, while 96% feel more prepared to prevent or respond to a cyberattack. Cost remains the biggest barrier to improving cybersecurity (41%), followed by a lack of internal expertise (23%).

Read the full report on Clutch.

About Clutch

Clutch powers how businesses discover, evaluate and hire the right B2B service partners. Through verified reviews, structured comparisons and intelligent matching, Clutch helps business leaders make confident decisions about the expertise they rely on, wherever their search starts. As B2B discovery evolves across marketplaces and AI-driven search, Clutch delivers the credibility signals and visibility that both buyers and providers need to navigate an increasingly complex decision environment. Today, over 400,000 service providers across more than 1,900 categories trust Clutch to connect them with buyers ready to hire.

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