As a continuation of last month’s blog, I took a look at some more detrimental online hacks that have rocked our nation. Although preventive cyber security measures have increased, so have the capabilities of hackers. A lot of our personal information is exposed when we utilize online resources. Many of us know someone who has been affected by cyber attacks and may even know people involved in some of these larger scale incidents. Here are a few more noteworthy security breaches to hopefully remind you to stay safe online.
Target:
In 2014, retail mogul, Target, faced one of the worst data hacks our country has seen. The attack led to 70 million names, mailing addresses, emails, and phone numbers being stolen. Additionally, 40 million credit and debit card number, expiration dates, and CV codes were obtained by the hackers. The unique scenario of the hack made it a national news story. The breach in security took place over a three-week time period, which is why so many accounts were infiltrated. Many customers lost a great deal of trust in the company, and stocks did take a hit for a few months. From a security standpoint, Target had all of the right preventative measures in place. Yet, they neglected to react to the warnings they were provided. Many lawsuits filed against the company due to damages were dropped once damages were returned to customers. After discovering the breach, Target offered a year of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection to U.S. based customers. A few customers received settlement funds from Target and the security measures have increased drastically. I’d be willing to bet that they won’t be ignoring any more warning signs in the future.
Sony Pictures
Those working in the entertainment industry already have a significant amount of their dirty laundry aired. You can imagine their emotions when they found out that Sony Pictures had fallen victim to a cyber attack. The attack was orchestrated by a North Korean based group self-titled “Guardians of Peace.” The group claimed their motive was the release of the film “The Interview,” a comedy portraying an assassination attempt on Kim Jong-Un. The breach consisted of the group receiving access to Sony employee’s personal information, emails within the company, and copies of then-unreleased films. As a result of the attack, Sony has heightened their cyber security efforts including the use of new software to house all company information.