Top 10 data breaches of all time

In the era of digitization, where information holds immense value, the prevalence of data breaches has become a concerning reality. These breaches, instances in which unauthorized individuals gain entry to sensitive data, have impacted millions, if not billions, globally. From large corporations to social media behemoths, no entity seems impervious to the sophisticated techniques employed by cybercriminals. The consequences of a data breach extend well beyond compromised passwords and email addresses; they encompass identity theft, financial setbacks, and a erosion of trust. This blog aims to delve into some of the most noteworthy data breaches in recent times, examining the tactics utilized by hackers, the scale of the impact, and the lessons we can extract to enhance the security of our digital presence. Comprehending these breaches is vital for navigating the intricate realm of online security and reinforcing the significance of proactive measures to shield our confidential information.

Yahoo (2013-2014):

Date: 2013-2014 (Discovered in 2016)

Impact: Over 3 billion accounts affected.

Details: Yahoo suffered a massive data breach, compromising user names, email addresses, phone numbers, birthdates, hashed passwords, and security questions.

Attack Technique: The breach involved the use of stolen credentials. Hackers gained access to Yahoo's internal systems by exploiting vulnerabilities and employing cookie forging techniques. Once inside, they exfiltrated sensitive user data.

Equifax (2017):

Date: July 2017

Impact: Personal information of 147 million people exposed.

Details: Equifax, one of the major credit reporting agencies, experienced a breach that exposed Social Security numbers, birthdates, addresses, and, in some cases, driver's license numbers.

Attack Technique: The Equifax breach was a result of a vulnerability in the Apache Struts web application framework. Hackers exploited this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. The breach was a consequence of the company's failure to patch the known vulnerability promptly.

Marriott International (2014-2018):

Date: 2014-2018 (Discovered in 2018)

Impact: Information of approximately 500 million guests compromised.

Details: The breach exposed personal details, passport numbers, and payment card information. It was one of the largest data breaches in history.

Attack Technique: The breach was attributed to a cyber-espionage campaign that had been ongoing since 2014. Attackers gained unauthorized access to the Starwood guest reservation database, which Marriott had acquired in 2016. The attackers encrypted their presence, making detection challenging.

LinkedIn (2012):

Date: 2012

Impact: Over 160 million accounts affected.

Details: LinkedIn suffered a breach that resulted in the compromise of user passwords. The stolen passwords were later sold on the dark web.

Attack Technique: LinkedIn suffered from a password hash leak. Hackers breached the platform's security and stole hashed passwords, which were then decrypted and sold on the dark web. The exact method of the initial breach remains undisclosed.

Adobe (2013):

Date: 2013

Impact: Data of approximately 38 million users compromised.

Details: Adobe experienced a breach where attackers gained access to user IDs, passwords, and credit card information. The breach affected both customer and source code repositories.

Attack Technique: The Adobe breach was executed through a cyberattack on their network. The attackers gained access to customer IDs, passwords, and credit card information. The breach highlighted the importance of securing both customer and source code repositories.

Target (2013):

Date: November-December 2013

Impact: Information of 110 million customers exposed.

Details: Target's point-of-sale systems were compromised, leading to the theft of credit and debit card information. Additionally, personal information such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses were also affected.

Attack Technique: Target fell victim to a point-of-sale (POS) attack. Hackers infiltrated the company's POS system, installing malware that intercepted credit and debit card information during transactions. The attackers exploited third-party HVAC vendors to gain initial access to Target's network.

Uber (2016):

Date: Late 2016 (disclosed in 2017)

Impact: Data of 57 million users and drivers exposed.

Details: Uber suffered a breach where hackers gained access to personal information, including names, email addresses, and phone numbers. The company initially concealed the breach but later disclosed it.

Attack Technique: Uber's breach resulted from hackers gaining access to a private GitHub repository used by the company's developers. From there, they discovered credentials for an Amazon Web Services (AWS) account, allowing them to access and download sensitive information.

Capital One (2019):

Date: March 2019

Impact: Data of over 100 million customers exposed.

Details: A former employee exploited a vulnerability in Capital One's system, leading to the exposure of personal information, including names, addresses, credit scores, and social security numbers.

Attack Technique: The Capital One breach involved a server-side request forgery (SSRF) attack. A former employee exploited a misconfigured web application firewall to gain access to the company's cloud server, where they exfiltrated personal information stored in AWS S3 buckets.

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