Top 10 most notorious cybersecurity breaches of all time, including the Yahoo data breaches, Target data breach, Equifax data breach and more. Learn about the impact these breaches had on companies and individuals, and why cybersecurity is more important than ever.”
- The Yahoo Data Breaches (2013-2014): In 2013 and 2014, Yahoo experienced two of the largest data breaches in history, affecting all three billion of its user accounts. The breaches compromised personal information such as email addresses, dates of birth, and telephone numbers. It is believed that a state-sponsored actor was responsible for the attack.
- Target Data Breach (2013): In 2013, Target experienced a data breach that exposed the credit and debit card information of 40 million customers, as well as the personal information of another 70 million customers. The breach is believed to have been caused by malware that was installed on Target’s point-of-sale systems.
- Equifax Data Breach (2017): In 2017, credit reporting agency Equifax experienced a data breach that exposed the personal information of 147 million customers, including social security numbers, birth dates, and addresses. The breach was caused by a vulnerability in Equifax’s website software, which the company had failed to patch.
- Sony PlayStation Network Hack (2011): In 2011, the Sony PlayStation Network was hacked, exposing the personal information of 77 million customers, including email addresses, passwords, and login credentials. The attack also resulted in the theft of 12.7 million user credit card numbers. It was one of the largest known breaches of online security ever.
- Uber Data Breach (2016): In 2016, ride-hailing company Uber experienced a data breach that exposed the personal information of 57 million customers and 600,000 drivers. The attackers stole names, email addresses, and mobile phone numbers, as well as the driver’s license numbers of 600,000 drivers. Uber paid the attackers $100,000 to delete the stolen data and keep the breach quiet.
- Anthem Data Breach (2015): In 2015, health insurance company Anthem experienced a data breach that exposed the personal information of 80 million customers, including social security numbers, birth dates, and addresses. The breach was caused by a cyber attack on Anthem’s IT systems and is believed to have been carried out by a Chinese hacking group.
- LinkedIn Data Breach (2012): In 2012, professional networking site LinkedIn experienced a data breach that exposed the email addresses and passwords of 167 million customers. The data was later put up for sale on the dark web.
- Marriott Data Breach (2018): In 2018, hotel giant Marriott International announced a data breach that exposed the personal information of up to 500 million customers. The breach, which went undetected for four years, exposed information such as names, addresses, phone numbers, passport numbers, and email addresses.
- JPMorgan Chase Data Breach (2014): In 2014, JPMorgan Chase experienced a data breach that exposed the personal information of 76 million households and 7 million small businesses. The breach is believed to have been carried out by a group of Russian hackers, and resulted in the theft of names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.
- Ebay Data Breach (2014): In 2014, online marketplace eBay experienced a data breach that exposed the personal information of 145 million customers, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. The attackers gained access to eBay’s corporate network by compromising a small number of employee log-in credentials.
As one can see, these breaches have exposed personal data of Millions of users, caused heavy financial loss for the company and in some cases even reputation damage. It highlights the importance of cyber security and the need for companies to take it seriously.