In recent history, there have been many cyber attacks that have shocked the world, deeply impacting individuals, organizations, and governments. These attacks not only exposed serious security vulnerabilities but also left behind unpredictable consequences. Here are some of the most notable cyber attacks:
WannaCry Ransomware Attack (2017)
In 2017, the WannaCry ransomware attack shocked the world by paralyzing systems in 116 countries, causing damage estimated at billions of US dollars. The attack compromised millions of computers, encrypted data and demanded ransom to restore it.
Yahoo Data Breaches (2014, 2013, 2016)
Yahoo has suffered several major data breaches that have affected billions of user accounts. A 2014 attack exposed information from more than 500 million accounts, including names, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, and passwords. In 2013, all 3 billion Yahoo accounts were compromised, affecting a third of all accounts on the service at the time.
SolarWinds Attack (2020)
In late 2020, a series of US government agencies fell victim to a sophisticated cyberattack , including the Department of Defense, the Department of State, the Department of Treasury, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Homeland Security. The attack was detected through SolarWinds software, raising concerns that hackers may have stolen important confidential information of the US government.
Adobe Data Breach (2013)
In October 2013, Adobe announced that it had lost personal data from 2.9 million user accounts, including names, passwords, and credit card information. Additionally, more than 40GB of source code for Adobe products, including ColdFusion and Adobe Reader, was also stolen and made public on the internet.
The Attack on Sony’s PlayStation Network (2011)
In April 2011, the Sony PlayStation Network was hacked, exposing the personal information of 77 million users, including banking information. The attack forced Sony to shut down the service for nearly a month and cost it $15 million in compensation to users.
Other Cyber Attacks
In addition to these attacks, there have been other cyberattacks that have caused serious damage. In 2014, data from 100 million credit cards and 20 million bank accounts in South Korea was stolen by hackers. Also in 2014, more than 1.2 billion login credentials from 420,000 websites worldwide were stolen by a group of Russian hackers.
These cyber attacks demonstrate the complexity and sophistication of today’s cyber security threats. Organizations and governments must continue to work to protect their data and systems from increasingly sophisticated and dangerous attacks.
