Biggest Cyber Security Data Breaches and Hacks
The digital era is a golden era for data thieves eager to get their hands on everything from credit card numbers to bank account information. Cyber security experts are on the frontlines of an ongoing cyber war that will only escalate in intensity. Much of this battle is fought in the shadows. The victories and successes of the good guys go unnoticed, but the failures wind up making headlines for the world to see. The following are some of the largest data breaches and hacks to occur in the past few years.
Hacks and Data Breeches in 2016
February 2016 - On February 9th hackers furious over US relations with Israel breached the US Department of Justice's database and released the employee files of 10,000 Department of Homeland Security, and 20,000 FBI employees. It took nearly a full week for the Department of Justice to discover the hack.
February 2016 - February was a bad month for cyber security professionals within the government. On February 29th, the IRS was targeted by hackers who stole the personal information of 700,000 American taxpayers. The hack originated from Russia and was one of the most brazen identity theft attacks to date.
March 2016 - On March 25th, Verizon was targeted by hackers who stole information of roughly 1.5 million customers. The hackers put the data up for sale on a hidden cybercrime forum. To date, no one knows the full extent of the breach and how many copies of the data the thieves made.
April 2016 - Cybercrime isn't limited to the United States. On April 11th, thieves breached the Philippine Commission on Elections and stole the personal information of every voter in the nation. Approximately 55 million voters had their data stolen by Anonymous. The shadowy organization was demanding that the nation immediately implement stronger security features on their vote counting machines prior to the May elections.
May 2016 - In 2012, LinkedIn's systems were hacked and 117 million emails and passwords were stolen. In May 2016, this information became public. To date, the company has failed to find the parties responsible for the breach or the release of the information.
September 2016 - In what will go down as one of the most significant breaches in history, Yahoo announced on September 22 that their systems had been hacked... in 2014. According to the company, nearly 500 million accounts were compromised by a foreign government actor who stole everything from passwords to personal account information. The company now faces multiple class-action lawsuits filed on behalf of the account holders.
Past Cyber Security Data Breeches
Of course, data theft is nothing new, and while 2016 has been a rough year for security professionals seeking to keep data safe and secure, there are many other notable hacks worth mentioning.
April 2011 - Hackers like to play games, and they played a dirty move on Sony Playstation users. They stole the personal account information of 77 million users which forced the company to temporarily suspend service while they sealed up the breach.
December 2013 - Hackers targeted the systems of retail giant Target. They stole the credit and debit card numbers of 70 million customers. Using a combination of malware and stolen access tokens, the breach remains one of the most publicized hacks in history.
July 2014 - JP Morgan Chase was the target of a very costly data theft. Hackers accessed the accounts of nearly 76 million households; roughly 1/2 of the United States. It took the company more than a month to seal up the holes the hackers had slithered through.
Cyber Security Specialists Doing Their Part
Failure is the best lesson, and cyber security specialists are engaged in an ever-escalating war with hackers and thieves. These data breaches have taught security experts to look for holes and close the gaps before they can be exploited. While these hacks created significant havoc, they taught valuable lessons that cyber security experts have used to lock down other systems and prevent copycat attacks.
Those interested in joining the fight against cyber crime have a bright future. The outlook for the career is very bright, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating employment to grow 18% between 2014 and 2024. There are currently opportunities in healthcare, finance, retail, and trade related companies for those with the training, experience, and certifications in cyber security.
If you can see yourself helping to fight cyber crimes and help seal data breaches, the field of cyber security could be right for you. ECPI University offers three degree levels in cyber security, from associates, to bachelor's, to master's in this exciting and expanding field. Contact an ECPI University admissions representative today if you want more information.
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