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The Top 10 Most Devastating Cyber Attacks in Recent History
With cyber attacks becoming increasingly prevalent, it’s important to take a look back at some of the most devastating ones that have happened in recent history. Here are the top 10.
1. WannaCry (2017)
WannaCry is one of the most infamous cyber attacks of all time. It affected over 200,000 computers in 150 countries, and caused billions of dollars in damage. The ransomware encrypted data on infected machines, and demanded a Bitcoin ransom in exchange for a decryption key.
2. NotPetya (2017)
NotPetya spread through a Ukrainian accounting software, and affected companies all over the world, including FedEx and Maersk. The malware sought out administrative credentials and then used them to destroy data, causing over $10 billion in damage.
3. Equifax (2017)
In 2017, hackers gained access to sensitive information belonging to 143 million Equifax customers, including Social Security numbers, birth dates, and addresses. The hack generated widespread outrage and led to hearings in Congress.
4. Target (2013)
The Target cyber attack is one of the largest in history in terms of the number of customers affected. Hackers stole data on 40 million customers, including credit and debit card information. Target faced a backlash from customers, and CEO Gregg Steinhafel ultimately resigned over the incident.
5. Home Depot (2014)
Home Depot suffered a massive data breach that impacted 56 million customers. The attack was carried out using malware installed on the company’s point-of-sale systems. Home Depot ultimately paid $25 million to settle a lawsuit brought by banks affected by the breach.
6. Yahoo (2013-2014)
This is actually a series of hacks that affected Yahoo users over the course of several years. The initial breach in 2013 saw usernames and passwords stolen, while subsequent attacks exposed over 1 billion user accounts. The breach potentially jeopardized the sale of Yahoo to Verizon for $4.8 billion.
7. Sony Pictures (2014)
The hack on Sony Pictures was one of the most high-profile cyber attacks in history. It was allegedly carried out by North Korea in response to the movie “The Interview,” which portrayed a fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The hack exposed confidential information including employee salaries and private email exchanges between executives.
8. Mt. Gox (2014)
Mt. Gox was one of the largest Bitcoin exchanges in the world before it collapsed in 2014 due to a massive cyber attack. Hackers stole 850,000 Bitcoins, worth $473 million at the time, and caused the price of Bitcoin to plummet.
9. JPMorgan Chase (2014)
The JPMorgan Chase breach affected 76 million households and 7 million small businesses, making it one of the largest data breaches in history. While the hackers didn’t steal any money, they did gain access to sensitive data including account numbers and contact information.
10. Dyn (2016)
In 2016, a massive DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack was carried out against Dyn, a domain name service provider. The attack affected popular websites including Twitter, Amazon, and Netflix, and caused widespread disruption. The attack was carried out using a botnet made up of Internet of Things devices.
