As businesses and organizations continue to generate large amounts of data, managing and analyzing that data becomes increasingly important.
File analysis is a process that helps organizations identify, manage, and secure their unstructured data. This includes files such as documents, emails, images, and other digital content.
In this blog post, we’ll explore file analysis statistics to help you understand the importance of file analysis and how it can benefit your organization.
Key File Analysis Statistics 2023 – MY Choice
- In 2020, around 4.8 billion malware attacks were detected worldwide, which represents an increase of 13.7% compared to the previous year.
- Malware files increased by 358% between 2015 and 2019, from 1.4 million to 6.4 million.
- In 2021, the most common type of malware detected was ransomware, accounting for 31% of all attacks.
- Phishing attacks that rely on malicious file attachments increased by 16% in 2020, with PDFs and Office documents being the most commonly used file types.
- In 2020, 98% of all malware was delivered via email, with the remaining 2% being delivered via other channels such as social media or instant messaging apps.
- The average cost of a data breach caused by a malicious file was $4.27 million in 2020.
- One in every 100 emails contains a malicious attachment or link, and 96% of these emails are sent to only 10% of employees in an organization.
- In 2020, 86% of all malware detections were trojans, making them the most commonly used type of malware for attacks.
- 48% of all phishing attacks in 2020 involved the use of compromised websites as a method of delivering malware.
- Machine learning-based file analysis tools can identify malware with an accuracy rate of up to 99.5%.
File Analysis Stats
- The average enterprise uses 88 different file storage systems (Source: Forbes)
- 58% of organizations have experienced a data breach caused by their vendors or third-party partners (Source: Ponemon Institute)
- Unstructured data makes up approximately 80% of all data within an organization (Source: Veritas)
- More than 90% of data breaches are caused by human error or behavior (Source: Verizon)
- 67% of IT leaders plan to increase their use of data protection technologies such as data loss prevention (DLP) and encryption in the coming year (Source: IDG)
- Only 5% of companies delete data that is no longer needed (Source: Iron Mountain)
- 85% of all data breaches go undetected for weeks or even months (Source: Ponemon Institute)
- In 2020, the global file analysis software market was valued at $707.3 million (Source: MarketsandMarkets)
- 71% of employees believe they have access to data they shouldn’t see (Source: Varonis)
- The average cost of a data breach in the United States is $8.64 million (Source: IBM)
- 55% of organizations plan to increase their use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the coming year (Source: IDG)
- 62% of organizations say they need more effective data analysis to support their digital transformation initiatives (Source: Forrester)
- 95% of all files stored in the cloud are unstructured (Source: TechTarget)
- The average enterprise spends $2,500 per terabyte of storage annually (Source: IDC)
- By 2025, the global file analysis software market is projected to reach $2.5 billion (Source: MarketsandMarkets)
- Only 34% of companies say they are fully prepared to handle a data breach (Source: Ponemon Institute)
- The average enterprise uses 26 different file collaboration tools (Source: Gartner)
- 45% of companies plan to increase their investment in data security in the coming year (Source: IDG)
- In 2020, the global data protection and recovery software market was valued at $9.2 billion (Source: MarketsandMarkets)
- 92% of organizations say their data volume is growing faster than their ability to manage it (Source: Veritas)
- 80% of enterprise data is held in unstructured data sources (Source: IDC)
- 33% of companies say their data storage costs are increasing faster than their budgets (Source: IDG)
- 71% of organizations say their employees have access to data they shouldn’t see (Source: Varonis)
- In 2020, the global data governance market was valued at $1.8 billion (Source: MarketsandMarkets)
- Only 11% of companies have a mature approach to data governance (Source: Gartner)
- The average enterprise uses 47 different file sharing tools (Source: Gartner)
- The global market for enterprise file synchronization and sharing (EFSS) was valued at $2.7 billion in 2019 (Source: MarketsandMarkets)
- 68% of organizations say they need to improve their data governance practices (Source: Forrester)
- 90% of companies say they struggle with file duplication (Source: Veritas)
- 40% of all data breaches involve the theft of sensitive intellectual property (Source: Ponemon Institute)
Importance of File Analysis
- By 2025, it’s expected that the amount of global data will grow to 175 zettabytes. This highlights the importance of managing and analyzing data, including unstructured data such as files.
- Unstructured data makes up a large percentage of an organization’s total data, often up to 80% or more. Without proper management, this data can lead to increased storage costs, compliance risks, and security vulnerabilities.
- File analysis can help organizations gain insights into their data, including identifying sensitive information, detecting anomalies and patterns, and reducing the risk of data breaches.
- In a recent survey, 71% of IT professionals reported that they are either using or planning to use file analysis tools to improve their data management and security.
- File analysis can also help organizations comply with regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA by identifying and protecting sensitive data.
File Analysis Trends
- AI and machine learning are increasingly being used in file analysis tools to automate processes and improve accuracy.
- In the next few years, the file analysis market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 25%, driven by the increasing need for data management and security.
- Cloud-based file analysis tools are becoming more popular due to their scalability and ease of use.
- More organizations are using file analysis tools to optimize their storage environments and reduce costs.
- File analysis tools are increasingly being integrated with other tools such as e-discovery, data loss prevention, and data governance to provide a comprehensive approach to data management.
File Analysis Benefits
- File analysis can help organizations reduce storage costs by identifying duplicate and unnecessary files.
- By analyzing file metadata, organizations can gain insights into how data is being used, and make informed decisions about how to manage it.
- File analysis can help organizations identify sensitive data, such as personally identifiable information (PII), and protect it from unauthorized access.
- With file analysis, organizations can identify redundant, outdated, or trivial (ROT) data, which can help reduce the risk of data breaches and improve compliance.
- By using file analysis tools to identify data that is no longer needed, organizations can improve their storage utilization rates and reduce the need for additional storage.
File Analysis Challenges
- One of the main challenges of file analysis is the sheer volume of data that organizations generate. Analyzing this data can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
- Another challenge is the lack of standardization in metadata across different file types and applications. This can make it difficult to analyze files consistently and accurately.
- Ensuring the privacy and security of data during the file analysis process is also a challenge, particularly when dealing with sensitive data such as PII.