Digital transformation has enabled the quick movement of data across different platforms. Digital transformation has led to efficient ways of carrying out business activities. However, the safety of the data across the various platforms is a concern. The dependency on data has scaled up data breaches, leading to the growth of data solution companies like Enformion.
To prevent future data breaches, we have compiled a list of the biggest data breaches in history. Information about data breaches is fundamental in preventing future data breaches. Read on to find out the top ten data breaches in history.
Yahoo
Number of records affected: 3 billion
The data breach on Yahoo occurred in August 2013 but was announced in December 2016. The breach was a result of hacking by cyber attackers. At the time of the breach, Verizon was in the process of acquiring the company. Regardless of the attack, Verizon acquired Yahoo but at a lower cost.
Number of records affected: 540 million
The attack on Facebook occurred in April 2019. The attackers got access to data relating to users’ phone numbers, Facebook IDs, and account names. The attack was because of the poor security of Facebook then.
Sina Weibo
Number of records affected: 538 million
The attack on Sina Weibo occurred in March 2020. Sina Weibo is the largest social media platform in China, with approximately 600 million users. The attackers gained access to the users’ real names, area residences, phone numbers, and usernames.
Marriott International (Starwood)
Number of records affected: 500 million
The data breach at Marriott International occurred in September 2018. The hotel’s reservation database was hacked, and sensitive details about guests were exposed. The investigations revealed that there had been unauthorized access to the database since 2014. Marriott International moved swiftly in contracting experts to enhance security.
Number of records affected: 700 million
LinkedIn data was breached in June 2021. The attack affected up to 90% of LinkedIn users. The hacker used scraping techniques to exploit the site’s API. LinkedIn claimed that sensitive user data was not exposed.
Alibaba
Number of records affected: 1.1 billion
The breach on Alibaba occurred in November 2019. The mastermind of the data breach was a developer working for an affiliate marketer. The developer used crawler software to scrap customer data from the Alibaba shopping website. The hacker were imprisoned for three years.
Adobe
Number of records affected: 153 million
The breach in the Adobe database occurred in October 2013. The hackers gained access to log-in data to customers’ accounts. Adobe also admitted that the hackers also accessed encrypted credit card details. The breach exposed users’ names, credit card details, and passwords. Adobe had to pay $1.1 to the affected users for the violation of customers’ data.
Dubsmash
Number of records affected: 162 million
Dubsmash data breach occurred in December 2018. It is a video messaging service based in New York. In 2018, hackers managed to steal users’ data, email addresses, and usernames. In December 2019, the data was sold on the Dream Market dark web.
Adult Friend Finder
Number of records affected: 412.2 million
The incident occurred in October 2016. Adult Friend Finder is an adult platform with sensitive data. The platform fell prey to cyber thieves who stole users’ email addresses, names, and passwords.
NetEase
Number of records affected: 235 million
NetEase had its data stolen in October 2015. In 2015, cyber thieves managed to steal email addresses and passwords from NetEase. The data was sold on the dark web marketplace.
The Bottom Line
Data breaches can be devastating to users whose personal information falls in the hands of cyber thieves. To prevent a repetition of data breaches, sites should improve cybersecurity on their websites. If you are looking for ways to recover from data breaches, PeopleFinders is here to help. Ensure you join us today to find solutions to data breaches.
