The Major Cyber Security Breaches of the Past few Years

No matter who you are or what you do, no one is safe from internet hackers. This is why it is necessary to take the steps required to prevent any data breach, primarily if you work for a company that deals with sensitive information. Keep this in mind while going into the new year, and be sure to review your company’s current data security strategy. As we reflect upon the 2015 year, here are the top seven cybersecurity breaches that took place.

1. Ashley Madison was perhaps the most high profile security breach case of the year. Hackers that went by the name ‘The Impact Team’ threatened to release the private information of the website’s users if Avid Life Media did not take the site down. In the end, over 25 gigs of private data were released including passwords, emails, private messages, and credit cards.

2. The last type of business you want to hear has been hacked is a bank, but that’s precisely what happened to JP Morgan Chase in 2014. It was the most significant breach of customer information that has ever occurred regarding a financial institution.

3. Even gamers have experienced hackers on Xbox Live and PlayStation. On Christmas day in 2014, a group called the Lizard Squad shut down connectivity for these gaming networks. These issues lasted for a few hours.

4. The FBI has been hacked twice. In July of this year, hackers were able to obtain background information on over 21 million individuals. There was a huge uproar over this hack, especially since it was a government entity that was the victim.

5. In 2013, Target suffered a significant hack that put thousands of people at risk. The considerable hack upset plenty of customers, but in the end, Target agreed to pay over $10 million in damages to those were negatively affected by the breach.

6. Securus Technologies, a prison phone company, had around 70 million call records released to the public via a news site called The Intercept. What was notable about this hack is that it is considered one of the most massive breaches of attorneys and their clients' private conversations.

7. Popular online shopping hub eBay was hacked in 2014, where customers’ usernames and passwords were stolen. eBay required users to change their passwords, and encouraged individuals to use different passwords for different websites they use.

If these large companies who spend thousands of dollars on technology to keep information secure can be hacked, then it means it can also happen to your company. Security should also be kept in mind when you are ready to dispose of old electronics that once accessed sensitive information. Contact a data destruction center like WC Recycler and get a quote for safe disposal of your sensitive data.