It is amazing that we are in 2017 and companies are still not taking online data breaches and internet security seriously. Every company thinks, it could never happen to us, but it is only a matter of time if you do not have security measures in place. Consider contacting an information security consultant immediately to reinforce your data network. Meanwhile, here is a look at nine of the worst data breaches we experienced over the past few years.
1. Yahoo, 2013
One of the biggest breaches of all time took place in 2013 when Yahoo had a massive amount of data stolen. For example, hackers managed to take information on over one billion accounts, including:
names
addresses
phone numbers
dates of birth
weakly protected passwords
The hack had a massive impact on Yahoo’s already flailing reputation as an online company.
2. FriendFinder, 2016
Most people know of this site as the one you used when you wanted to casually date or hook up with someone, but now it is most famous for the data breach that impacted more than 400 million accounts in 2016.
3. MySpace
Even though some details are still unconfirmed by the company, MySpace did release information about how 350 million accounts on the website were compromised by hackers, with plenty of sensitive information stolen.
4. LinkedIn, 2012
One of the most famous networking sites for professionals, LinkedIn suffered an attack where the information regarding 150 million accounts was compromised by hackers. Around 100 million passwords were also allegedly obtained by the hackers.
5. Heartland Payment Systems, 2009
One of the largest payment processers in the United States, the company based in New Jersey handled accounts for huge businesses and other clients. However, their data was compromised in 2009 and credit card data was stolen by hackers.
6. Target, 2013
The famous chain of stores is not known for its online presence, but their data systems were the victim of a massive attack in 2013, where more than 100 million records were compromised. Many of the compromised accounts included credit card information from consumers.
7. Sony Entertainment, 2011
More than 100 million records at Sony Entertainment were hacked into, including the password and username information of around 80 million people who used Sony’s PlayStation Network at the time.
8. Rambler, 2014
Rambler is considered the “Yahoo of Russia,” and their data was breached in 2014 by unknown hackers who managed to gain access to the account information of more than 98 million people. Many of these accounts included passwords that were neither hashed nor salted, which means they were easy for the hackers to use for their own purposes.
9. Anthem, 2015
One of the largest health insurers in the United States, Anthem is not known for their lack of security, but they were compromised in 2015 and the information of around 65 to 80 million individuals was stolen, including social security numbers, dates of birth and employment histories.
Image Credit: Pixabay
As we can see from these ten breaches, when companies are lax about their internet security, it can lead to serious consequences for the business and their customers. Take precautions to ensure your business and its data are not compromised in any way by speaking with an online security consultant today.
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