Cyber security history dates back to the 1970s. Over the years, cyber security incidents have become more and more complex as the proliferation of the internet has become more prominent. As we gear up to enter a new decade it seems fitting to take a look at some of the biggest cybersecurity incidents that occurred over the past 10 years.
This article should give you an idea of why cybersecurity is so important. As you’ll find out, some of the biggest companies in the world have fallen victim to cybersecurity attacks. So, it’s important you remain vigilant in keeping your information secure online and keep up to date with the best practices for doing so.
Let’s take a look at some of the most significant cybersecurity incidents to occur over the past 10 years.
Cybersecurity in 2011
In 2011 Sony was the target of an attack that compromised 77 million users’ data. This included names, passwords, emails, and more. The PlayStation Network outage lasted 23 days and was a significant blow to Sony.
Cybersecurity in 2013
In 2013, retailer Target was the subject of a data breach that exposed 40 million credit and debit card accounts. Target’s network was compromised after hackers targeted a third-party heating and air conditioning contractor who was working for the company. The breach took place for two weeks in late 2013 and was unveiled in 2014.
Another large company subject to a cyber security attack in 2013 was Adobe. Despite being one of the most recognizable names in software, over 38 million users and 152 million breached records were dumped online. Adobe was fined $1 million for the incident.
2014
In late 2014, Yahoo suffered a massive data breach which has been said to have been the most significant data breach in history. A total of 500 million users were compromised. This included all names, passwords, and answers to security questions.
Yahoo also had an earlier breach take place in 2013, and Yahoo later confirmed the total number of impacted users was around 3 billion. Yahoo was fined $35 million for the breach as it did not report the breaches until 2016 and 2017
2015
In 2015 the consumer credit company Experian suffered a data breach that compromised 15 million records of those people who had applied for a T-Mobile telecom service. In 2012, Experian had purchased a company named Court Ventures.
Court Ventures had an existing contractual agreement with US Info Search, which allowed them to access company data to find people’s addresses that would help them in reviewing court cases. Court ventures then sold this information to third parties, one of which was a Vietnamese ID theft ring that was able to access the personal information of Americans, including social security numbers and financial details.
Make Sure You Stay Protected
In the digital world, we live in today, cyber-attacks can happen around the clock, which means a network needs to be protected 24/7. As shown in the examples above, not even the largest companies in the world are safe from cyber security attacks.
Fast Guard Services Cyber Security Management Service ensures the very latest in identification, classification, and response to online threats. Fast Guard’s fully managed cyber security service addresses all aspects of online security.
Fast Guards cyber security experts carry out a full overview of all digital vulnerabilities and put in place a proactive security architecture that provides round-the-clock monitoring for all kinds of cyber security threats.
If you’re interested in learning more, contact the Fast Guard team today to see how they can help with your cyber security needs.