Top 10 biggest cyber-security hacks that shook the digital world

Cybersecurity threats are one of the most significant challenges facing individuals, businesses and governments in today’s digitally-first world. Hackers always find a way through, even though companies spend billions on advanced firewalls, security tools and encryption. In the last two decades, the most significant cybersecurity breaches have exposed the sensitive data of millions – sometimes even billions – of people.

These attacks caused not only financial losses, but also left an indelible mark on the way organizations protect data. This article will cover the 10 biggest cyber-hacks in history and their impact. We’ll also discuss the lessons that we can take from them.

1. Yahoo Data Breach (2013-2014)

The largest data breach in history is the Yahoo breach.

• What’s the story? Hackers accessed Yahoo’s database of users, revealing personal information like names, email addresses, phone numbers and encrypted passwords.
• Size of the attack:
  Two major breaches affected more than 3 trillion accounts.
• Impact:
  When Verizon acquired Yahoo in 2017, the attack damaged Yahoo’s reputation and reduced its purchase price.
• Lesson learnt:
  Cyber threats are not confined to tech giants. Weak security measures like outdated encryption can put billions of dollars at risk.

2. Equifax Data Breach (2017)

The Equifax hack was one of the worst ever.

• What happened to ?
  Hackers used a vulnerability within a web-based application to steal sensitive information.
• Size of the attack:
  Over 147 millions people have had their Social Security Numbers, Driver’s License Details, and Financial Data exposed.
• Impact:
  The breach resulted in lawsuits, huge fines and a loss in trust. Equifax spent nearly 4 billion on settlements and response.
• Lesson learnt:
  Patch management and vulnerability tests are a priority for organizations that deal with financial data.

3. Marriott International Breach (2018)

The Marriott Starwood breach exposed data to customers for many years before the breach was discovered.

• What has happened?
  Hackers have accessed Starwood Hotels’ (acquired Marriott) reservation database.
• Size of the attack:
  Data of around 500 millions guests, including passport numbers and travel information, were compromised.
• Impact:
  The breach has raised serious questions about the way global hospitality companies manage sensitive data.
• Lesson learnt:
  To avoid hidden risks, mergers and acquisitions must always include thorough cyber audits.

4. Adobe Systems Breach 2013

Adobe, another of the world’s most popular software companies, was also hit by a major hack.

• What happened to ?
  Hackers gained access to Adobe’s system and stole customer IDs and encrypted passwords as well as source code of major products.
• Size of the attack:
  Around , 153 millions user accounts have been affected.
• Impact:
  Hackers could find vulnerabilities in Adobe software by exposing the source code. This put millions of people at risk.
• Lesson learnt:
  The theft of intellectual property can be as harmful as data breaches. Source code protection is essential.

5. LinkedIn Data Breach (2012 & 2016)

LinkedIn, the largest professional networking website in the world, has been compromised on multiple occasions.

• What happened to ?
  In 2012, hackers stole credentials from users. By 2016, more than 117 million accounts had been impacted. The number increased even further.
• Size of the attack:
  According to reports, more than 700 millions users had their data scraped off and sold on dark web.
• Impact:
  Leaked data exposed millions of users to phishing and spam.
• Lesson learnt:
  A rich source of personal information makes social platforms prime targets. Multi-factor authentication and stronger password policies are essential.

6. Sony Pictures Hack (2014)

The Sony Hack is one the most famous cyberattacks on the entertainment industry.

• What has happened?
  A group known as Guardians of Peace broke into Sony’s system, leaking unreleased films, employee data and private emails of executives.
• Size of the attack:
  Information about thousands of employees was leaked.
• Impact:
  The hack resulted in a huge embarrassment to Sony, the suspension of film releases and diplomatic tensions with North Korea.
• Lesson learnt:
  Cyberattacks are not always purely financial. They can also be motivated by political motives and intended to harm a company’s image.

7. Target Data Breach 2013

A sophisticated attack on the retail giant target affected millions of customers.

• What happened to HTML0?
  Hackers gained access to Target’s network via a third party vendor, and installed malware onto its point-of sale systems.
• Size of the attack:
  The theft of data from 40 millions credit and debit card, and 70,000,000 customer records.
• Impact:
  Target was hit with lawsuits, settlements and reputational damages that cost nearly 200 million.
• Lesson learnt:
  Third-party vendors are often the weakest links in security. Businesses need to monitor the entire supply chain.

8. Capital One Breach (2019)

Capital One is a major U.S. Bank that also suffered from a serious hack.

• What has happened?
  A former AWS employee abused misconfigured cloud settings in order to access Capital One cloud storage.
• Size of the attack:
  In the U.S., Canada, and more than 100 million customers, their credit scores and balances were exposed, as well as banking information.
• Impact:
  The breach brought to light the dangers of cloud misconfigurations.
• Lesson learnt:
  Cloud security is a serious matter that requires strict configuration monitoring and checks.

9. eBay Data Breach (2014)

eBay, the largest ecommerce platform in the world, suffered a major breach.

• What happened to HTML0?
  Hackers accessed employee login credentials to infiltrate the corporate network.
• Size of the attack:
  Around , 145 millions users were exposed. Their names, addresses and encrypted passwords were revealed.
• Impact:
  eBay forced all users to reset passwords, resulting in a loss of reputation.
• Lesson learnt:
  Accounts of employees are often the entry point for larger breaches. Regular training and strong authentication is vital.

10. MySpace Data Breach 2008 (discovered 2016)

The MySpace data breach may be old but it is still one of the biggest social media data leaks.

• What happened to ?
  Hackers have stolen email addresses and passwords on MySpace’s older platform.
• Size of the attack :
  More than 360 millions accounts have been compromised.
• Impact:
  Even though MySpace is no longer popular, users still reused passwords on other platforms, increasing the risk.
• Lesson learnt:
  Even old and abandoned platforms are still targets, particularly if credentials are reused.

Common Threads in these Hacks

There are some common mistakes organizations make that can lead to breaches.

1. Insecure or old encryption
2. Unpatched vulnerabilities (Equifax).
3. Poor vendor management (Target).
4. Cloud misconfigurations
5. No multi-factor authentication on eBay, LinkedIn

These hacks show that cybersecurity is more than just installing anti-virus software. It’s also about creating a security culture.

Cybersecurity: How to protect yourself

You can stay safe as an individual or business:

• Use unique, strong passwords with a password manager.
• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA).
• Update your systems and applications regularly.
• Monitor partners and third-party vendors.
• Use best practices for cloud security.
• Employees should be educated about social engineering and phishing.

The conclusion of the article is:

The 10 largest cybersecurity hacks reminds us that nobody is 100% secure online. Hackers continue to find ways to exploit vulnerabilities in financial institutions such as Equifax and Capital One and tech giants Yahoo and LinkedIn.

Every attack is a valuable lesson in how to improve our defenses. Cyber threats are evolving, and so should our protection strategies. In the digital age, cyber security is no longer an option. It’s now a necessity.