In 2011 the average cost of a data breach was US$5.5 million, 24 percent less than in 2010. The cost per compromised record has also decreased, by 10 percent, and stands at $194. The study’s results are based on information from 49 U.S. companies spanning 14 industry sectors that experienced data breaches last year. The most important category from a cost perspective is that of so-called “lost business” costs. Fewer customers are now abandoning companies after data breaches, reducing “churn””]