The Biggest Data Breaches of 2014

By now, most Americans should have the simple understanding that their information is not as secure as they hope it would be. To drive that point home, all one has to do is to take a look back at the massive data breaches of 2014. From some of the country’s largest retailers and movie companies to some of the country’s most recognizable banks and online businesses, there were dozens of cyber theft victims over the past year with consumers having everything from their email addresses to their credit card numbers stolen by invisible cyber-criminals.

Here’s a look at back at some of the biggest data breaches of 2014.

#1 – Microsoft and Sony’s Christmas Day Disaster

On December 25^th, both Microsoft’s XBOX Live and Sony’s PlayStation Network suffered a cyber-attack that resulted in millions of gamers unable to play their Christmas Day games. The attacks were conducted by a group known as the Lizard Squad, who reportedly took down the gaming sites simply to show that they could and to prove to consumers just how easily large corporations could be compromised. Although this hack resulted in millions of unhappy gamers around the world, no crucial data was stolen.

Sony’s PlayStation Network wasn’t the only part of the company to be compromised in 2014. In apparent response against the controversial film, “The Interview,” North Korea hackers broke into Sony Pictures’ servers, making emails, employee salaries, and even some of the studio’s yet-to-be-released films available to the public.

#2 – Apple iCloud’s Celebgate

Although it wasn’t the largest data breach of the year, Apple’s iCloud “Celebgate” was without a doubt one of the most highly controversial and newsworthy cyber-attacks of the year. This crime consisted of nude photos of dozens of high-profile Hollywood actresses being stolen from Apple’s iCloud storage service and made available online on the website 4Chan. Apple insists that their servers weren’t “hacked,” but after the attacks, the company did increase the security on its iCloud service.

#3 – JP Morgan Chase & Co.

JP Morgan Chase & Co. is one of the country’s largest banks, and despite spending upwards of $250 million on online security measures over the course of the year, even it was the target of a widespread cyber-attack. Cyber thieves, apparently from Russia, broke through the bank’s firewalls to steal sensitive data from more than 7 million small businesses and 76 million households.

#4 – eBay

EBay is one of the largest and most popular online shopping outlets in the world, and in 2014, it also become one of the largest security breach victims in history. In a single attack, all of the data on the site was stolen, including the names, addresses, and birthdates of all of its 145 million-plus users. To make matters worse, the company waited two weeks after the attack to notify its customers.

#5 – Home Depot

Home Depot suffered the largest data breach of any American retailer in 2014 when cyber thieves stole 53 million email addresses and 56 million payment details from the company’s servers. Home Depot’s lack of security measures were what sparked the attack, which could have been avoided had the company been more aggressive in upgrading its IT and security infrastructure.

#6 – Target

Before Home Depot’s huge data breach, there was the attack on the retailer, Target. In 2014, the company experienced a severe security breach that resulted in 40 million credit and debit card numbers being stolen by hackers.

How to Protect Against Data Breaches

For many of the companies that suffered data breaches in 2014, the reason for the ease in which they were attacked was a direct result of their lackadaisical approach to upgrading their IT infrastructures. Many companies are still using Windows XP, which is no longer supported by Microsoft, and this lack of support leaves it extremely exposed to sophisticated hackers.

Cyber theft is always a threat, but there are some things a company can do to protect itself and its customers from compromise. For starters, any computers running Windows XP should be upgraded to at least the Windows 7 OS. The company should also adopt a secure data destruction strategy to help ensure that any data recorded on end-of-life devices and computers is effectively destroyed.

If your company is in need of a data destruction provider, Liquid Technology can help. Just call us today at 800-797-5478 to learn more about our state-of-the-art, DOD-compliant data destruction services.