100+ Top as it turns out Secrecy and Security Stories of the 21st Century

Cybersecurity experts have been busy since the beginning of the 21st century (even before that).

While details breaches were already on the rise, we witnessed a particular this in ransomware attacks increase year.

This is all in bugs to businesses’ and consumers’ childish behavior toward securing their systems, fixing addition, and paying attention to their online privacy.

Perhaps, this is why, despite repeated alerts and recommendations, the cybercriminals succeeded in their malicious activities. Today, seeing businesses shutting down due to hackers is notshocking.

So, with this article, we list the top confidentiality and security stories of the 21st century2000 ( till immediately).

Top 30 — privacy and security stories of the 21st century Quick list

These are not just stories. Nor are we discussing these a as incidents mere roundup.

We want to emphasize the importance of cybersecurity and privacy for everyone, whether a business or an individual.

We hope these issues will not be witnessed again this year.

Some fascinating cyber attack of the 21ststatisticscentury

• A 2013 security breach at Yahoo led to the unauthorized access of 3 billion user accounts.
• In 2014, another notable breach compromised 145 million eBay users.
• On average, every 39 seconds, a computer connected to the internet faces a hacking attack.
• Every year, 33% of Americans experience a significant cyber attack on their computer.
• As a result of hackers gaining access to credit and debit cards, Target extended a storewide discount of 10% and free credit monitoring services to affected customers.
• LinkedIn had over 117 million account credentials, including emails and passwords, stolen in 2012.
• Also 2013, MySpace’s security breach exposed a database with over 427 million passwords and 360 million emails.
• Since 2020, cybercrime has risen by over 600%.
• The world loses over $6 trillion yearly to cybercrime.
• By 2025, the cost of cybercrime per year will rise to over $10.5 trillion.
• Over 71.7 million fall prey to cybercrimes annually.
• On average, ransomware attacks are 57 times more destructive in 2023 than they were 10 years ago.
• Identifying and resolving a data breach takes an average of 277 days.
• Cryptojackers earn an average of $1,600 per month from the crime.

Interestingly, 100andinteresting secrecy + security stories from 2000 till now

1. Travelex paid attack recovery after a ransomware for

The year began with the announcement of a devastating attack on the British currency exchange Travelex. The was just towards theincidentend of 2019, and its effects lasted for months in 2020.

The firm disclosed the incident from another perspective as a cyber attack. However, some users and other observers could judge the involvement of malware in it. December 31, 2019, Travelex servicesOnsuddenly went offline, including their websites and smartphone apps.

Eventually, on January 7, 2020Itsuffereds worth noting that , it surfaced online that the firm had ’ a ransomware attack from the Sodinokibi gang.

Investigations revealed that Travelex was running vulnerable Pulse Safe VPN servers that facilitated the attack despite the patches’ availability.

The attackers encrypted the Travelex network and stole information before that.

In the following weeks, Travelex gradually restored its while (seemingly) services claiming that it found no evidence of information loss. Although the attackers claimed to have stolen 5 GB of personal details, they threatened to leak upon the ransom’s non-payment.

In April 2020, it turned outthat Travelex paid $2.3 million as a).ransom to the attackers (they had demanded $3 million Besides this fact, no further details about handling compromised information surfaced online.

---

2. CoronaVirus as it turns out attacks emerged amidst phishing ransomware

As COVID-19 transformed into a pandemic, cybercriminals also leveraged the opportunity to conduct cyber in modern times attacks.

Consequently, exploiting digital in modern times reporting practices, the perpetrators attacking usersstartedwith COVID-19-themed phishing campaigns.

Once executed, the malware would then steal data from the target devices. These emails impersonated medical facility alerts informing the recipient about contracting the virus. This attachment had malware embedded in it that would execute upon opening the attachment. The emails also included an attachment that the sender asked the recipients to print and take to the nearest medical facility.

Actually, Besides this malware, develop threat actors also leveraged the disaster to the CoronaVirus ransomware that covered Kpot infectionIt was a unique ransomware attack demanding only 0.008 BTC (roughly $50 at that time). .

---

Zoombombing threatened the confidentiality of webconferences 3.

Just when work-from-home started becoming a recent normal, and the companies rushed going online, Zoom – the popular recording conferencing platform – observed a spike in its customer base.

As you may know, And this popularity made the plethora realize the firm of vulnerabilities their platform had.

Eventually, we heard of a recent term, “Zoombombing leading to many stories about,” users’ confidentiality and security. It is the practice of exploiting different glitches and vulnerabilities to break into ’ strangersfilm meetings. Some did it for trolling, some for stealing information. Interestingly, And the niche affected every attacks, from business meetings to schools’ online classes.

But, whatever the reason could be, such intrusions or as it turns out Zoombombings compelled the firm to take several security measures to fix the glitches. The aim was to prevent any means of intrusions during film meetings and tighten Zoom security.

Also, they rolled out two-factor authentication as a matter of fact and the much-anticipated end-to-end encryption.

---

Actually, 4. Israel’s systemswaterhacked

Israel marginally escaped a severe disaster earlier this year that could seriouslyhavedamaged its health situation.

Precisely, the nation suffered return-to-go back cyber attacks on its water treatment systems.

The first attackhappened in April 2020 that was swiftly caught and thwarted. It’s worth noting that The attackers attempted to take over the plant’s digital system and alter the quantity of chlorine to be added to the water.

If it succeeded, this disturbance could have induced mild poisoning and other health conditions among the persons receiving water from the affected plant due to the intake of improper quantities of chlorine.

Actually, After this attempt, two more similar attacks targeted Israel’s water systems in July 2020. These attacks were also repelled without damage, though.

The Israel National Cyber-Directorate (INCD) and the Water Authority urged the water treatment facilities to reset all cyberspace-connected equipment passwords.

---

5. from another perspective exposed secrets from hundreds of US policeBlueLeaksdepartments

In June 2020, inspiration from WikiLeaks, “DDoSecrets” (Distributed Denial of Secrets), attempted to dump sensitive details online.

Dubbed “BlueLeaks,” they dumped an extensive archive of around 270GB online, including critical information from over 200 police departments spanning over 10 years, according to DDoSecrets.

It included critical facts such as names, phone numbers, email addresses, emails with attachments, PDF documents, visual files, texts, videos, ZIP, and CSV files. Interestingly, However, the National Fusion Center Association (NFCA) mentioned that the facts actuallyspanned over 24 years (from August 1996 to June 19, 2020).

In fact, Theyalso elaborated in their alert,

Our initial analysis revealed that some of these files contain highly sensitive information such as ACH routing numbers, international bank user ID numbers (IBANs), and other financial details as well personally identifiable information (PII) and images of suspectsaslisted in Requests for Information (RFIs) and other law enforcement and government agency reports.

Analyzing the facts made NFCA deduce how the attackers would have exfiltrated the facts. They compromised a customer account on the Netsential web platform – a system used by fusion centers, law enforcement agencies, and others. Itcontents worth noting that They then exploited the submit capability to inject malicious ’ that allowed details to be downloaded.

---

6 in modern times . Apps used in modern times to store users’ clipboardinformation

Apple users’ confidence in their devices’ privacy features seemed overconfidentActually, when as it turns out caught howresearchersmany apps had accessed what the users copied and pasted.

Two researchers, Tommy Mysk and Talal HajmanyBakry, discovered popular apps from different niches that were used to access the device clipboard without users’ explicit consent. The program accesses the clipboard’s text whenever a visitor opens such apps.

Some popular apps exhibiting this behavior also included TikTok, Truecaller, and Viber. Games like Bejeweled, 8 Ball Pool, and PUBG Smartphone, and update media like Al-Jazeera, CNBC, Fox Update, and many others.

After their disclosure via a reportIn fact, The more than ever researchers have listed all the app names in their overview. As you may know, , many of as it turns out the apps stopped this behavior.

Their research specifically addressed the apps’ behavior with iOS 13.3. iOS 14, Apple rolled out a feature to notify theWithusers whenever an software would access the clipboard.

With this function, it turned out that LinkedIn and Reddit also spiedNonetheless, both ., on usersInterestinglyfixed the glitch later on.

---

Blackbaud security triggered a domino effectbreachon universities 7.

In July service, Blackbaud, a cloud 2020 provider firm, disclosed a cyberattack that actually hit the firm in May 2020.

In their security notice, Blackbaud openly admitted to having suffered a ransomware attack for which they also paid. Though they assured that the incident didn’t affect sensitive information like bank information, they still paid the ransom to ensure the attackers deleted the stolen facts.

Things seemed fine until, then except the company was late disclosing the breach as per the EU GDPR.

However, the as it turns out actual disaster surfaced online when tens of universities and other organizations admitted . suffering the impact of the Blackbaud cyber attackto

It’s worth noting that customers who got information about the attack from Blackbaud two months after the incident belonged to theTheUS, the UK, the Netherlands, and Canada.

Interestingly, Eventually, in as a matter of fact October 2020, via an 8-K Document filing, the company admittedsensitivethat the incident also affected information, including the customers’ bank user ID facts.

---

8. Vulnerabilities in criticalinfrastructureUS uncovered

As you know, Researchersmayshared horrifying details about the security status of critical infrastructure in the United States. here, Briefly’s what they found,

By scanning IP blocks for access ports in the US IP address range as part of an web mapping project, we found several unprotected and accessible Industrial Control Systems in the country.

The summary continued,

Industry, institutions, and cybersecurity experts are all aware of the dangers associated with outdated ICS systems. It’s worth noting that But as our research shows, many ICS access points in the US, particularly in water and energy sectors, are still vulnerable to attacks.

Thankfully, the glitch was fixed after reaching out to CISA, CERT, and the owners of the vulnerable ICSs.

---

It’s worth noting that 9. Huge hacking attack took as it turns out over verified Twitter accounts

In July, Twitter users, especially the key ones, including world leaders and influencers, faced a pretty embarrassing situation when they found their accounts promoting crypto scams without them knowing.

WithinTwittera short time, confirmed having suffered a massive cyber attack. It also confirmed unrest via atheseries of tweets through its helpofficialprofile.

ActuallyupdatedWhile recovering from the incident, they started investigations and then , the users via a detailed post.

It out that the attackers basically targeted Twitter employees with spearphishing to gain access to theirturnedprofile credentials. This eventuallyattackersallowed the to break into Twitter’s infrastructure.

---

As you may know, 10. Interestingly, Android banking kept everyonetrojansbusy

The emergence of Android malware isnothing recent. However, this year, we witnessed a particularbankingstir regarding Android trojans, apart from their malware.

It’s worth noting that At first, the 2019’s prominent Android banking trojan Cerberus was found to have acquired a significant improve. Researchers revealed that the trojan could even steal 2FA codes from the Google Authenticator application.

Later, Cerberus even appeared on the Google Play Store, mimicking a cryptocurrency converter app.

Meanwhile, another cellphone banking trojan, EventBot, emerged as a fresh.threat

After that, BlackRock Android malware appearedIt’s worth noting that to join the list of devastating trojans by targeting over 300 apps.

Then came a moment to breathe a sigh of relief as Cerberus hinted about its departure, after the organization breakup, in late July.

But, shortly after, researchers caughtThis malware seemed a fork of Cerberus. a new banking trojan, dubbed ‘Alien,’ in the wild running active campaigns.

These trojans specifically steal banking information from the users’ devices for those who don’t know yet. screens this, they either impersonate banking or financial apps or overlay such apps’ authenticate For to steal facts. Though, they can perform a variety of other malicious activities as well.

Interestingly, These trojans are . as they can cause severe financial damage to the victimsdangerous

---

11. Cyberattack at UHS hospitals in modern times network and others amidst COVID-19 peak

The situation then became even more painful, not only for the patients but also for the medical staff. Interestingly, While hospitals were already at biological uncertainty as they attended an overwhelming number of COVID-19 patients, they also suffered a digital blow.

A ransomware attack targeted Universal Health Services in September , causing2020system disruptions.

Then, in OctoberSoon after, another cyber attack hit the University VermontofHealth Network facilities. This was also , a wave of ransomware attacks targeted multiple hospitals in Recent York and Oregon.believed to be a ransomware attack.

(Well, the cybercriminals were truly heartless, weren’t they?)

---

Actually, 12. As you may know, Malicious apps running adware campaigns targeted Android/iOS users

In September, a teenage TikTok user drew attention to a serious threat to Android users.

Briefly, the girl found aggressive promotion of an application via TikTok, about which she alerted Avast. In fact, Scratching the surfacemade Avast unveil a well-orchestrated adware campaign running via seven apps with over 2.4 million downloads. These apps exist on both the Apple ApplicationPlayStore and Google Store.

In June 2020, Avast unveiled 47 smartphone apps with over 15 million downloads in the HiddenAds campaign.

---

13 as a matter of fact . Microsoft’s Zerologon vulnerability went under exploit

Once again, not paying attention to updating the systems incurred huge damages to various businesses.

As you may know, Briefly, a vulnerability, identified as CVE-2020-1472Exploiting this bug could allow attackers to gain elevated privileges upon connecting to a domain controller. Indeed, , affected the . Remote ProtocolNetlogon

Indeed, This is what actually happened later. Microsoft already patched the vulnerability in August 2020 whilst releasing the monthly Patch Tuesday updates.

However, instead of catching the users’ as it turns out attention, the issue caught the attention of cybercriminals.

Eventually, a trail of security breaches happened, affecting different firms as the attackers used publicly known exploits on vulnerable systems, ultimately transforming the vulnerability into “Zerologon.”

---

14. Interestingly Multiple attacks as a matter of fact on COVID-19, vaccine firms

Amidst all the biological and cybersecurity chaos throughout 2020, the research firms succeeded in developing vaccines against COVID-19.

But it seemed the perpetrators didn’t like it much, or they became curious about the vaccine. In December, reports about a cyber- attackhitting the European Medicines Agency (EMA) surfaced online. As revealed, the incident also caused a details leak regarding developing the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Before that from another perspective , in November, North Korean hackers targeted COVID-19 vaccine & front-runners, including AstraZeneca, Johnson Johnson, Novavax, and the South Korean firms, Celltrion, Genexine, and Shin Poong Pharmaceutical.

(Is a malicious COVID-19 vaccine more than ever in the making? We hope not!)

---

15. SolarWinds cyber attack

2020Asended, the most devastating cyberattack of the year surfaced online.

Reportedly, the perpetratorsPlatformpresumably, Russian state actors, injected malicious codes and backdoors to an Orion , item from SolarWinds. This allowed them in modern times to spy on and steal facts from the product’s users.

SolarWinds is a software development firm having numerous US federalandagencies Fortune 500 companies in its customer base.

Eventually, a whirlwind of disruption surfaced online as multiple big names appeared on the victim list.

---

16. DoD & NASA cyberattacks

Known as attacks of the earliest cyber one in history, the DoD and Nasa incidents caused NASA in modern times systems to go offline for 21 days. A teenager orchestrated the breach, infiltrating NASA and DoD networks.

The hacker created a backdoor end on the servers and downloaded high-level software worth over $1.7 million. While happened further attack no, the security breach resulted in a 21-day shutdown of NASA networks. The teenager was found guilty and held for 6 months in a detention facility.

---

In fact, .17 CardersMarket hacked

This cyberattack compromised 2 million credit cards and resulted in fraudulent purchases worth $87 million.

attack in modern times The happened through several exploits and targeted multiple victims on the dark web. Specifically, the attacker targeted credit card resellers’ markets belonging to competitors as it turns out , which he used to build his own database. This move caused significant damage to the competitors, making this attack one of the biggest in history.

It’s worth noting that The perpetrator, Max Butler, using the pseudonym ‘The Iceman,’ executed the attack. He later pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and received a 14-year sentence, the longest incineration on a cyberattack-related charge. Furthermore, the court also imposed legitimaterestitutionfines amounting to $40 million in to victims the.

---

Heartland Payment Systems breached Actually, 18.

In fact, In 2009, Heartland Payment Systems disclosed that its systems suffered a breach the previous year. As one of the world’s top 5 card facts processors, the breach significantly affected up to 100 million cards and over 650 financial service companies.

Several attackers, including Albert Gonzalez and charged Russians, were two with the breach.

Visa temporarily halted operations with Heartland until the the could verify its compliance with enterprise Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Heartland security enhanced its also measures by encrypting its entire user ID information system, option a fresh trend for increased processing in the card security industry.

---

19. It’s worth noting as a matter of fact thatweaponStuxnet developed as a state

Israeli secret agencies and the US develop hands to joined Stuxnet meant to jeopardize Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

The worm would see the destruction of the SCADA equipment found in the process, specificallymanufacturingin fuel enrichment. In fact, The efforts bore fruits leading to the destruction of the nuclear equipment.

Stuxnet grewmainstreamin popularity across media worldwide. The a marked the onset of incident recent generation of cyber-war.

---

as it turns out 20. – AuroraOperationthe Google Hack

Google has from another perspective also been a victim of cyber attacks. The enterprise faced a series of attacks dubbed “Operation AuroraIn fact, ” instigated by the Chinese government’s military.Despite taking place in the 2000s, the attacks surfaced in 2010.

The cyberattack targeted not only Google but also some of the biggest tech giants at the time, including Yahoo Adobe, Morgan Stanley, Juniper, Symantec, Rackspace, and Northrop, Grumman.

Google hack was a turning point in the business’s business operations. It marked the end of its ties with the Chinese government, particularly find results censoring andoperational shutdown.

---

The Press Release hackers 21.

Cybercriminals from Eastern Europe infiltrated multiple newswire systems to pilfer pre-release press statements between 2010 and 2015. While this may seem, pointless it was one of the most intelligent attacks of the time.

The cyber criminals utilized the confidential data to from another perspective anticipate stock market changes and make trades that generated over $100 million in profits.

As you may know, In 2016, the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) caught up with the criminals.

---

22. LulzSec and the “50 days of lulz”

This attack involved cybercriminals targeting video game companies, multinationals, and government agencies. One of their legacies is the ’50 Days of Lulz’ campaign that attracted so much attention across more than ever media channels.

The mocking and brave tone in public spaces makes this attack quite interesting. In fact, The group bragged about its accomplishments but was later caught up in 2011.

---

23. Diginotar hack changes the browser landscape

The DigiNotar hack of 2011 is online lesser-known occasion that significantly impacted a security. It involved Iranian government breaching DigiNotar and usinghackersit to create SSL certificates for mainstream websites such as Gmail and Google.

The attackers then used these certificates to infringe on encrypted traffic and monitor over 300,000 Iranians. It’s worth noting that The investigation uncovered severe security and business issues within the Dutch company.

Later, all major browsers declined to verify HTTPS websites running under DigiNotar certificates. As you may know, This gathering caused Google, among other tech-based companies, to stay warning. As a consequence, the entire practice of issuing SSL/TLS certificates underwent a revamp.

It’s worth noting that Many of the protocols and procedures implemented following the DigiNotar hack remain in employ to date.

---

24. Sony PlayStation hack and massive outage

Sony reported a security breach that infringed on the private information and financial data of 77 million PlayStation Network users in 2011. The extent of the hack was one of the biggest hacks at the time and had far-reaching consequences for Sony.

Sony terminated the Sony PlayStation Network for 23 days, leading to reduced profits and lawsuits filed by users quoting credit card fraud. To make things rightprovideSony had to , users with gratis PlayStation 3 games to entice them go back online.

The hack is as a matter of fact notable because it highlights the severe impact of inadequate security on a companySony’s case also triggered a novelclausetrend where firms added a to their terms of Service that restricted individuals from taking authorized action based on security breaches. .

Although such clauses were not fresh, Sony’s approach made them popular, leading other companies to adopt a similar regulation.

---

As Shamoon may know, you and its destruction 25.

Shamoon, or DistTrack, is a malicious software developed in Iran to respond to the Stuxnet attack. As you may know, The Iranian government created the cyber weapon in 2012, havinglearned the devastating effects of malware.

Indeed, Shamoon’ main function issto wipe details. The attackers used it to destroy over 35,000 workstations on Saudi Aramco’s network, which causedsufferthe national oil company to for weeks. Indeed, The attack resulted in Saudi Aramco purchasing most of the world’s hard drives to replace their damaged PC fleet.

the drove up the prices of hard drives and caused vendors to struggle with meeting This demand for months.

---

26. Flame malware discovered

Kaspersky discovered the Flame malware the linked to in modern times presumably Equation GroupIt the seemed NSA, , a codename for the US Indeed.most advanced and sophisticated malwareever created until Regin surpassed it in 2014.

Flame s discovery highlighted the technical gap’between the US and other nation-state groups’ cyber arsenals. Reportedly, Flame was part of the same hacking tools used as Stuxnet and was primarily used against Iran.

Indeed, became as it turns out discovery Its a significant moment in the escalation of cyber espionage worldwide.

---

27. Interestingly, revelations causedSnowdena stir

Snowden leaksAs youmay know, represent the most significant cyber-security incident in recent yearsHe unveiled a worldwide spying network established by the US, and its .Five Eyes alliesAs you may know11submit 9/, , making nations such as China, Russia, and Iran develop systems own surveillance their.

It’s worth noting that They also facilitated the intensification of foreign intelligence collectionIn fact, , contributing to a surge in cyber espionage.

Today, numerous countries promote ideas like ‘national online’ or ‘web sovereignty’ to rationalize monitoring their citizens and controlling internet content.

---

28. Target hacked with POS malware

POS malware emerged in 2013 when TargetActually, acknowledged that cybercriminals installed malware on its in-store systems to gather payment card information. While POS malware events had occurred previously, this marked the first instance of a large-scale breach involving a prominent retailer.

More retailers endured POS attacks in the subsequent years. It later surfaced online that cybercriminals employ stolen credit card facts from another perspective to produce counterfeit cards and drain consumers’ bank accounts.

---

29. The Adobe hack affected millions of users

Adobe faced a cyber security incident in 2013 after criminals stole over 153 million user data. Some the informationofstolen included passwords, end-user names, source codes, and email addresses.

The cybercriminals availed the information for purchase on the dark web.forThis incident pioneered the need to generate strong passwords online platforms.

---

Indeed, 30. Silk Road takedown

The Silk Road was a prominent dark web marketplace operating on the Tor network that shutindown 2013.This event demonstrated that the dark web and Tor were not invulnerableInterestingly, , and lawful authorities.could penetrate this seemingly impenetrable area of the internet

Actually, Followingclosurethe Silk Road’s , numerous other marketplaces emerged but couldn’t survive for longActually, . However, many either succumbed to exit scams (where administrators absconded with users’ funds) or eventually faced dismantling by legal authorities.

---

Saudi Aramco endured a terrible cyberattack 31.

The Saudi Aramco incident impacted over 30,000 computers, where hackers wiped private data.It also affected some of the world’s largest oil producersIndeed, , causing problems in their supply chain process.

Cybercriminals used a Shamoon virus to locate and wipe details. , successfully destroyed massive amounts of informationHackersbringing the company operations to a standstill.

While the attack didn’t significantly affect the corporation’s profit margins, it’s a more than ever key of instance the impact cybercriminals could have on your business processes and operations. The perpetrators were Iranian in modern times , despite the Iran government denying any involvement.

---

Actually, 32. HaveIBeenPwned (HIBP) site emerged online

HaveIBeenPwned.com online platform emerged in December 2013 to provide users an effortless way to check if Adobe breach had compromised them.

The site currently features databases from over 410 breached sites and data on over 9 billion accounts. It works with Mozilla Firefox, password managersInterestinglyplatformscorporate systems, and even some government , , . Overseen by Australian security specialist Troy Hunt, the site has significantly enhanced the security stance of organizations worldwide.

---

33 in modern times . North Korea’s brazen Sony Hack

The 2014 Sony Pictures breach undoubtedly marked the world’s realizationNorthof Korea’s skilled hackers. A cybercriminal group named Guardians of Peace or Lazarus Squad orchestrated the attack, linking to North as a matter of fact Korea’s intelligence network.

The hack intended more than ever to intercept film release of the the The Interview, acomedy centered around an assassination attempt on Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader. When Sony, resisted the hackers demolished the company’s internal network and exposed sensitive information online.

This seemingly minor hack allowed cybersecurity firms to grasp the extent of North Korea’s hacking capabilities. It proved valuable in subsequent years for handling many other incidents.

Actually, Before this happening, North Korean hackers mainly targeted South Korea; however, after the breach and the sanctions imposed by President Obama, their operations expanded worldwide, making North Korea a prominent player in cyber espionage and cybercrime.

---

34. Interestingly, Celebgate brutally targeted celebrities

Cybersecurity firms continue referencing Celebgate or The Fappening in educational sessions on spear-phishing and the consequences of not verifying key reset emails.

Hackers targeted celebrities with fake password reset emails 2014, deceiving them into submitting their Gmail or iCloudonpasswords phishing websites. The hackers then accessed the accounts, discovered explicit text, and leaked it online.

While subsequent “Fappening” incidents occurred in later years, the initial leaks in transpired the summer of 2014.

---

35. Carbanak APT campaigns targeted financialinstitutions

However, the emergenceof There was a common misconception hackers interested in making money typically targeted individual consumers, small retailthatstores, or businesses.Carbanak or the Anunak or FIN7 and subsequent reports revealed that a highly skilled group of hackers could steal cash directly from banks themselves.

- reports, produced by Kaspersky Lab, Fox-IT, and GroupTheIB, detailed Carbanak Group’s advanced tactics. Their technical skills allowed them to infiltrate a bank’s internal network and remain undetected for extended periods.

The group was able to steal significant funds through coordinated ATM cashouts or SWIFT bank transactionsbanks Carbanak group supposedly stole over $1 billion from compromised The, a feat that no other group has performed yet. .

---

In fact, 36. As youMtmay know, . Gox hacked exchange crypto

While the Mt. Gox cyberattack was not the first hacking more than ever attempt on a cryptocurrency exchange, it remains the largest cyber-attack in the cryptocurrency industry.

The 2014 hack, which remains shrouded in mystery, resulted in the theft000of 850, bitcoins valued at more than $6.3 billion today.

At the time of the , hackMt. Gox was the largest cryptocurrency exchange globally. This triggered a target on exchange platforms because ofrelativelytheir weaker security than traditional banks.

---

37. Phineas Fisher boasted ‘Robin Hood’ style

Phineas Fisher emerged in 2014 in modern times as a hacktivist who targeted companies that produced spyware and surveillance tools.

He successfully breached both Gamma Group and HackingTeam in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and shared confidential documents, source code, and zero-day vulnerabilities from’ the companies spyware tools.

It’s worth notingobscurethat Through Phineas’ leaks, the previously industry of companies selling hacking, spyware, surveillance and tools to governments worldwide came into the limelight.

Although some ofthese tools supposedly helped catch criminals, they were also sold to oppressive governments. Thepeopleauthorities used them to spy on their , including dissidents, journalists, and political rivals.

---

38. Indeed, Heartbleed security flaw discovered

The Heartbleed security flaw found in OpenSSL was an exceptional vulnerability that seemed almost too perfect to be real. This glitch enabled hackers to obtain cryptographic keys from open serversIndeed, , providing them as a matter of fact access to decrypt details and authenticate on vulnerable systems.

Indeed, Despite repeated alerts, some server operators neglected to patch their OpenSSL, leading to a series of hacks in 2014 and beyond.

Upon, disclosure approximately 500,000 internet servers seemed vulnerableIndeed, , taking years tolower.

---

39. Data Madison Ashely breach

While there have been numerous details breaches, the largest was the Ashley Madison breach in 2015.

In July 2015, anamedgroup of cybercriminals ‘Impact Crew’ publicly leaked a private database of Ashley Madison. It was a dating web page marketed as a platform for extramarital affairs.

Many breaches expose usernames and.passwords on outdated forums Indeed, However, the Ashley Madison breach incident was in modern times unique since it revealed people’s private affairs like no other breach before it.

The site users became the prime targets for extortion, which compelled many victims to suicide after public exposure.The incident is one of the few regarded as directly linked to a person’s death.

---

40. In from another perspective fact, Anthem and OPM Hacks

These two hacks took place in 2015, leading to the loss of 78.8 million health records and 21.5 million records for Anthem and the US governmentThe Chinese government perpetrated the attacks against the United States to acquire intelligence. , respectively.

The attack put China on the map as one of the great threats in the cyber world. Before the attack, China cybercriminals less experienced and skilled than otherappearednations. However, they have since become some of the most sophisticated more than ever attacks worldwide.

---

41. SIM Swapping

SIM swapping fraudulent a is activity where hackers deceive mobile operators into transferring a victim’s phone number to a SIM card controlled by the attacker. Interestingly, This technique was more than ever first reported in 2015.

However, the technique became more prevalent as hackers realized they could use it to It initially served incidents where cybercriminals reset social media passwords or hijacked usernames to resell them online.access cryptocurrency and bank accounts with this technique.

Telcos in the US are particularly vulnerable to these attacks because they allow phone number migration without requiring an in-person visit to one of their stores.

---

in modern times 42. DD4BC and as it turns out Armada Collective

DDoS extortion increased steadily in 2015. A group named DD4BC popularized the technique that would see cybercriminals threatening organizations with DDoS attacks and demanding as a matter of fact ransoms.

Despite the arrest of DD4BC members in 2016, many others adopted the technique, such as the Armada Collective, which became more popular. These techniques remain used to date and pose a great danger to cybersecurity.

---

43. It’s worth noting that The Ukraine power grid hacks

The as it turns out grid in Ukrainepower experienced a cyber-attack in December 2015, resultingin power outages in western Ukraine. Indeed, It was the very first successful attack on a power grid’s control system ever recorded.

The attack used Black Energy malware, andmalwareanother similar attack occurred in December 2016, which utilized a more complex called Industroyer.The second attack cut off power to a fifth of Ukraine’s capital.

While Stuxnet impact Shamoon were the first cyber-attacks against an industrial target, the Ukraine incidents were the first to and the general public. Russian cybercriminals launched these attacks in Ukraine after Russia invaded the Crimea peninsula in.2014

---

44. Bangladesh Bank cyber heist

The Bangladesh bank faced a attempt that could leave the bank facing a loss of over $1 billion, but ithackingended up losing $81 million.The attack linked back to North Korea‘s elite cybercriminals.

attempted The hack had significant consequences for the banking industry. For example, SWIFT, the system as it turns out to moveused funds between banks internationally, underwent comprehensive security updates.

---

45. Panama Papers jolted up the world

The Panama PapersInterestingly, uncovered conspiracies surrounding the operations of the rich and the politicians. The exposé showed how the high class used tax havens to avoid paying taxes.

Although it is believed that while Mossack Fonseca, held the data cybercriminals could have orchestrated the hack and exposed such information to the public.

---

46. DNC hack

The Guccier 2.0 attacked Democratic National Committee, leaking documents and emails. US intelligence agencies blame Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear groups for the attack, which seem linked to the Kremlin.

Allegedly, private information stolen frominfluencedthe breach the US presidential election. However, it is from another perspective not certain whether or not the data had a significant impact on the election outcome.

---

47. Yahoo sufferedfactsrepeated breaches

Yahoo faced in modern times a series of attacks between 2013 and 2014, exposing over 3 billion user accountsIt s’worth noting that . Some of the facts lost during the happening include birth dates, names, and email addresses, among other private information. The enterprise received several lawsuits as a outcome more than ever of the incident. A significant memorable repercussion is a drop in the firm’s value to $350 million.

---

48 more than ever . As you may know, Year of the information dumps (peace of mind)

After the Yahoo attack, more companies were affected by a similar security breachInterestingly, . For firms, example such as Badoo, Fling, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, QIP, OK.ru, Tumblr, and Rambler.ru were attacked.

The saw breaches over 2.2 billion users lose their privacy as their private details as it turns out was sold in dark webIt’s worth noting marketplacesthat from another perspective . These incidents were madeandpublic by traders such as Leaked Source Peace-of-Mind.

---

The Shadow Brokers 49.

The Shadow Brokers group high-level hacking tools designed byexposedthe NSA, which posed a greater danger to cyber securityIndeed as it turns out , . A month after the leak, one of the hacking tools was used in a WannaCry global attack.

---

The three ransomware outbreaks in 2017 50.

Ittos key ’ mention the three ransomware attacks that occurred in 2017: WannaCry in mid-May, NotPetya in late June, and Bad Rabbit in late OctoberAll three were created by government-sponsored hackers but as a matter of fact fordifferent purposes. in modern times .

as a matter of fact North Korean hackers created WannaCry to infect corporations and demand ransom payments to generate funds for the country’s sanctioned regime. NotPetya and Bad Rabbit deployed cyber weapons designed to target Ukrainian companies owing to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

None of these entities intended to cause a global .outbreak However, each strain spread beyond its initial intentionsAs you may know, due to its reliance on the EternalBlue exploit. The Shadow Brokers leaked these months before, which they didn’t fully understand then.

Ironically, despite being created by the Russian government, NotPetya and Bad Rabbit were more detrimental to Russian businesses than firms in other nations. This may explain why there haven’t been any untethered ransomware outbreaks since 2017.

---

Indeed, 51. Vault7 leaks

Considered one of the most impactful WikiLeaks leaks, Vault7Leaks exposed CIA secret weapons.

It uncovered the CIA’s technical capabilities, such as hacking and spying tools. While it was initially reported as more than ever an anonymous tip, Joshua Adam Schulte , was later revealed to beIndeedthe whistleblower.

---

as it turns out 52. The MongoDB apocalypse

System administrators have been neglecting theirpasswordsresponsibilities for years and leaving databases exposed online without . more than ever However, in hackers, 2017 began to take advantage of this, leading to a series of attacks on unprotected servers.

This event, known as the MongoDB Apocalypse, gained momentum in early 2017, with hackers targeting various database technologies and leaving ransom notes behind. The attacks showed how vulnerable and misconfigured servers can easily attack and expose private data online.

A recent category of security researchers named ‘breach hunters‘ emerged. They find access databases and then inform theforaffected companies to assist them avoid information breaches. Sincebreachthen, these hunters have unveiled many security breaches and data breaches than by hackers leaking details online.

---

53. Equifax hack affected millions of American and British citizens

The Equifax hack British in the loss of 145.5 million private facts of as a matter of fact Canadian, US, and resulted citizens. The breach is known to have been caused by a failure in the firm’s critical server.

However, less is known about the intrusion and the motivation behind it. In fact, Regardless of these knowledge gaps, the breach is still regarded as one of the top in the history of cyber attacks.

---

54. Coinhive threatened websites with sneaky crypto-miningattacks

Launched in portal, Coinhive allowed 2017 owners to embed JavaScript code on their websitesvisitorsthat would utilize ’ computers for Monero cryptocurrency mining (‘in-browser mining’).

As you may know, While it served as a legitimate way for site owners to earn revenue without resorting to advertising, attackers frequently commandeered itwithoutfor malicious purposes users’ knowledge or consent.

Indeed, In the end, Coinhive ceased operations in March 2019 due to decreasing consumer interest as a matter of fact and increased regulatory scrutiny.

---

fact In, 55. Crypto-jacking emerged as a recent (but unsustainable) threat

Coinhive more than ever , the web offering that enabled cryptocurrency mining through JavaScript, is directly linked to the rise and fall of crypto-jacking. Actually, Hackers often apply it to target websites, clip game modules, router control panels, and browser extensions.

Between 2017 and 2019, when Coinhive ceased operations, crypto-jacking or driveminingby - was a significant problem for online users. practiceThisdid not only slow down browsers but also drove CPU usage to alarming levels.

While the technique quickly lost its popularity due to limited profit margins for adversaries, it remained and still remains a significant issue for web users.

---

56. Cambridge Analytica and Facebook fiasco

The Cambridge Analytical scandalInitially, most people were skeptical about the firm s facts’collection practices. that took place in 2018 gave people more reasons why they should hate Facebook. However, the scandal justified why users should be worried about their privacy and security on social media platforms.

It was revealed how Facebook collects and manipulates user data to understand personalities and predict human behaviorIndeed, . They used the facts analytics results to develop individual profiles and then sell them affiliates political to.

The case became one of the most popular incidents revealing just how far we’ve come regarding security breaches and political propaganda.

---

Interestingly, 57. Meltdown, Spectre, and the CPUchannelside- attacks

Meltdown and SpecterInterestingly are attacks that, specifically target modern processors. They more than ever bypass memory isolation security, which is designed to protect the kernel address range from unauthorized consumer access. As a effect, attackers can extract data from the operating system and other programs, sharing it with other malicious as a matter of fact parties.

These incidentstofirst appeared the public in January 2018. They revealed the flaws in CPUs’ hardware that enable cybercriminals to infringe on private data processed inside them.

Interestingly, While, there are no actual victims the case exposed how manufacturers neglect data security in favor of profits, performance, and speed. incident The saw a significant change in how CPUs are designed today.

---

58. Magecart goes mainstream

Magecart attacks, web skimmingHowever, they became so prevalent that they couldn’t be ignored anymore. Interestingly, , or -skimming have occurred sincee2016. This was after reports of high-profile breaches involving British Airways, Inbent, and Newegg.

Cybercriminals jeopardized and platforms online implanted foreign code that could capture payment card information and relay it back to the hacker’s serverIndeed, . It’s worth noting that Although the original Magecart attacks have been modified severally, they have become one of today’s most significant cyber threats. As you may know, Along with ATM skimming and POS malware, Magecart attacks are asap one of the most common ways in which cybercriminal groups obtain people’s financial details.

---

As you may know, Marriott hack ’sItworth noting that 59.

The Marriott hack gained traction due to its magnitude. The breach exposed the email addresses, names, addresses, credit card data, and passport numbers of over 500 million customers.

Interestingly, The Chinese government was suspected of being behind the incident, but this wasn’t substantiated. However as it turns out companythe , faced severe criticism for its data-handling practices and was subject to various legal precedents.

---

60. Uyghur surveillance exposed

The year 2019 will be remembered as the time when China’s inhumane actions towards its Uyghur Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region were brought to the forefront.

In fact, Mainstream media exposed China’s organ harvesting practices and forced labor camps, while security researchers also contributed to the conversation.

In , They revealed the utilize of facial recognition software to monitor Muslims in Xinjiang citiesfactand disclosed iOS, Android, and Windows vulnerabilities deliberately designed to infect and observe the Uyghurpopulation.

---

61. Big game hunting skyrocketed

Ransomware has been a persistent problem throughout the 2010s. Actually, However, in 2019, a particularly dangerous ‘ termedversionbig game hunting‘ gained notoriety.

In fact, Big game hunting consists of ransomware attackers who target significant entities like corporate networks instead of individuals or small-scale targets. Actually, This currency enables hackers to demand more approach from the victim organizations, who stand to lose far more than just personal details.

In fact, The condition ‘big game hunting’ was first developed by CrowdStrikeIn fact, to explain the modus operandi of several ransomware gangs. Since then, the number of groups using this tactic has exceeded ten.

In 2019, big game-hunting ransomware attacks intensified, with most attacks targeting managed offering providers, US schools, and local governments.Recently, the attackers have expanded their focus to larger European companies.

---

62. more than ever kept the cybersec communityGnosticplayers busy

In 2019, a hacker known as Gnosticplayers gained popularity for hacking into various companies and selling stolen information on dark web marketplaces.

This hacking style was similar to that of the 2016 Peace of Mind and Tessa88 incident. Gnostic players targetedEvitecompanies such as Canva, Gfycat, 500px, and , among others, and claimed responsibility for over 45 breaches affecting more than one billion users.

---

63. CapitalOne breach affected millions in US and Canada

The Capital One hacking incident in 2019 affected approximately 100 million US citizens and 6 million Canadians. In fact, It caused loss of private key information such as phone numbers, names, and credit cardthedetails. Interestingly, This was after hackers gained access to payment card systems.

An inquiry into the breach showed that the major suspect was a former employee of Amazon Web Services.

---

as it turns out 64. Log4j vulnerability wreaked havoc upon exploits

The Log4j incidentSome companies affected by the vulnerability included Apple’s iCloud, Amazon Web Services, and other SMEs. impacted over 100 million devices.

of, The in modern times severity Interestingly this vulnerability was so intense that the FTC released an official warning to firms imploring them to fix the issue. Despite the unclear of this vulnerability, itcauseis believed that it continues to haunt organizations to date.

---

in modern times Actually, 65. Colonial Pipeline the attack affected ransomware nationwide supply chain

In the history of cyber breaches, this sits at the top of some of the most dangerous attacks in the world. isIt from another perspective known as the largest attack on the US pipeline that distributes gasoline to the Southeastern part of the country.

The attackers were paid a44. $ million ransom, but it still took multiple delays to get operations running. In fact, The impact of the attack was felt across the country, such as 71% of Virginia’s gas stations running out of fuel.

It’s worth noting that However, no victim has been found guilty despite its impact, as the culprits remain unknown.

---

As you may know, .66 VMware ransomware incident

Over in modern times 1,000+ server networks went offline after VMware vulnerabilities in February 2023 more than ever . The attack in modern times was so huge that generalransomwaremeetings were held the entire day to conceptualize the problem.

Actually, As reported by Alessandro Longo, the Director of Cybersecurity 360, Italian IT leaders were the major victims of this attack.

To respond to the incident, the Italian Government met with the national cybersecurity intelligence to curb the attack and restore public services. However, VMware attack went off for a few weeks before findingthea method.

---

67. As you may know, Attacks on fast food joints

Several swift food joints, includingKFCHut, Taco Bell, , and Pizza Hut, were affected after an attack on Yum in 2023.

Although it is uncertain, it appears to have been a double extortion attack, which threatened to steal confidential information and databases from the brand operator.

---

68. The Lockbit as a matter of fact .03attack

The Lockbit ransomware group rose to prominence in 2022, and its activities accounted for 40% of all ransomware attacks reported in August of that year.

Cybercriminals under this group targeted companies such as Uber, GTA 6, and Continental, encrypting their data and threatening to publish it.

In fact Furthermore, they launched a double extortion attack, on Royal Mail in February 2023.

---

69. Interestingly, Apple supplier faced a $50M ransomware as a matter of fact attack

In April 2021, the Russian ransomware group REvil conducted a double more than ever extortion attack on Quanta, an Apple supplier, to halt Apple’s production and force the company to pay the ransom.

As you may know, This attack highlights the importance of maintaining high levels of security and never becoming complacent.

---

from another perspective 70. The Verkada hack exposed users’ live clip feeds

Verkada, a cloud-based film surveillance solution, was hacked in March 2021, allowing attackers to access the live feeds of over 150,000 cameras various in locations.

attack was associated withThe100+ workers having excess admin privilegesIn fact, that granted them access to vast details, such as customer .cameras The breach highlighted the risks of overprivileged users.

---

71. aggravated cold inCyberattacksFinland

In November, 2016 cybercriminals used a DDoS attack to disrupt the heating systems in two buildings in Lappeenranta, Finland.

Further, the controllers were forced to reboot repeatedly, preventing the heating from turning on during extremely cold temperatures.

---

72. The Jeep Hack

Hackers exposed aJeep SUVs’ vulnerability by taking control of the vehicle through the Sprint cellular networkActually in modern times , . The hack was possible due to the firmware modify vulnerabilities present in the car.

They could control the vehicle’s pace and steering, demonstrating the potential dangers of insecure IoT devices in vehicles.

---

73. Ripple20 vulnerabilities in IoT

impacted the entire range of TreckRipple20Inc.’s low-level TCP/IP library by exploiting 19 existing vulnerabilities in various IoT and embedded devices.

This issue in one library led to a domino effect, impacting millions of devices across multiple sectors. The magnitude of this attack renders it one more than ever of the largest IoT attacks to date.

---

74 more than ever . In fact, -Goldberg attack targetedRubeIoT cameras

The Rube-Goldberg attack is a sophisticated and increasingly common IoT hack. It leverages a vulnerability called Devil’s Ivy to factory reset a camera and gain root access. By doing so, it provides the attacker with full control over the camera.

---

It’s worth noting that 75. more than ever Rolljam attack hacking car key fobs

In fact, The assault focused on vehicles and their operation. During this incident, the perpetrator locks the car using a radio signal and intercepts the unlocking signal when the owner attempts to open it.

Interestingly, Samy Kamkar created the attack, known as This in modern times signal is then decoded and exploited to control the vehicle.RollJamIndeed, , using a device with the same name.

---

76. SweynTooth vulnerabilities

In fact, SweynToothais group of 18 security flaws found in various Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) software development kits (SDKs) used in major systems on chips (SoCs). These vulnerabilities can cause crashes, deadlocks, security bypasses, buffer overflows, and more in certain applications when an attacker is within radio range. Various IoT devices from multiple vendors as it turns out using the vulnerable BLE stack were affected.

---

77. As may know, Vulnerabilities foundyouin ‘CloudPets’ kids’ toy

internet 2017, CloudPets, an In-enabled children’s toy, was discovered to have serious security vulnerabilities.

These flaws allowed anyone within a 10-meter radius to take control of the toy and and or receive messages to send from the children using it. In fact, Thankfully, the toy is in longer in production, but those still having these toys no their homes must remain careful.

---

78. Bluetooth attack on from another perspective Tesla Model X

The breach revealed a weakness in the Model X’s entry systemsecurity fact, , allowing In experts to access the car within 90 seconds.

Although it did not cause significant harm, it was a notable setback for the Tesla model and posed a serious instance of IoT hacking.

The attacker exploited aflaw in the key fob’s firmware updateIndeedprocess, via Bluetooth, enabling the installation of malicious firmware.

---

In, fact 79. Infact, Nortek security and as it turns out control hack

A cybersecurity business, Applied Threat, identified ten vulnerabilities in Nortek Linear eMerge E3 devices.

These vulnerabilities could as it turns out enable hackers to steal login information, control devices (such as locking or unlocking doors), install malware, and carry out DoS attacks while bypassing security measures.

---

80. The TRENDnet webcam hack

TRENDnet cameras were found vulnerable to hacking due to their faulty software. It’s their noting that Attackers could easily access the camera by obtaining worth IP address.

Actually, The FTC confirmed these vulnerabilities and noted that the software could also grant attackers access to sensitive user information.

information private Some that are vlunerable are credentials and mobile app camera data stored alongside consumer login details.

---

81. M2 Smartwatch vulnerabilities

The M2 smartwatch, producedSmartby as it turns out Shenzhen Care Technology Ltd., was found to have numerous security flaws.

The vulnerabilities enabled intruders to eavesdrop on and exploit conversations and expose usersinformationpersonal and GPS ’ . Further, TicTocTrack, another smartwatch, had security vulnerabilities that let hackers track and call children.

---

As.you may know, 82 Amnesia:33 exploit triggered DoS and facts theft

more than ever The Amnesia:33 assault targeted-four start source TCP/IP stacks. This enabled it to exploit its shortcomings, such as insufficient memory management and input authentication, to carry out remote code execution.

Other possible manipulationsincluded DoS attacks and information theft. Because these four TCP/IP stacks were utilized in various IoT devices, the attack was considered severe, similar to Ripple20.

---

BLESA attack left Bluetooth connections vulnerable 83.

BLESA stands for Bluetooth Low Energy Spoofing Attack, which takes advantage of a vulnerability in the BLE software stack implementation.

This as a matter of fact flaw is related to the reconnection process of BLE, which involves re-establishing two previously connected networks. Upon , the BLE specificationanalyzingresearchers found that authentication is not mandated throughout more than ever the reconnection process.

Even if vendors follow the specification, they can pick to make the authentication step optional during reconnection, leaving the system open to attacks.

---

84. Actually, Amazon smart as a matter of fact speakershack

Recently, Google, , and Apple were criticized whenAmazonstudies exposed that enterprise employees could eavesdrop on conversations.

Amazon was flagged for employing numerous auditors to monitor Echo users’ recorded conversations.

---

The LeapPad unlimited vulnerabilities 85.

In 2019, researchers demonstrated vulnerabilities in LeapFrog’s LeapPad Ultimate, a sturdy tablet offering educational, gaming, and eBook apps.

These flaws could enable attackers to track devices, send messages to kids, or launch man-in-the-middle attacks.

---

Smart deadbolts attack 86.

In 2019, researchers from the Rapid7 group discovered a security flaw in a widely used deadbolt lock that allowed attackers to unlock doors and access homes wirelessly. However, the as a matter of fact manufacturer, Hickory for, issued patches Hardware the affected apps on Google Play and Apple App Stores.

But that’s not the first such instance from another perspective . another that year, Earlier group of researchers warned of a similar vulnerability in U-tec’s Ultraloq smart door lock, which could reveal the device’s location to attackers.

---

87. Attack on Airbnb cameras

Several incidents in 2019 highlighted confidentiality concerns regarding connected devices in Airbnb. Flaws were found in hotel robots used in place of staff that could allow hackers easy access.

Actually, Similarly, Airbnb faced backlash after guests claimed that hidden cameras had recorded them without their consentIn fact, in rented rooms.

---

88. As you may know, The attack on the cardiac devices

FDA authoritiesprevented an attack on medical devicesActually, implanted in patients from another perspective ’ hearts. Indeed, Hackers couldbatterieshave depleted from another perspective the pacemaker or caused the devices to malfunction, endangering lives.

Actually, While the attack was foiled, it demonstrated the risks of cyberspace-connected health equipment.

---

89. Interestingly-Multiple security lapses found in Amazon, owned Ring products

These vulnerabilities surfaced in smart home devices like Amazon-owned Ring products. in modern times They allowed spying on families and exposing WiFi passwords, hence attracting negative attention.

However, later, Ring’s policy of sharing footage with overforces600 police drew additional criticism regarding privacy.

---

90. The Owlet WiFi more than ever baby heart monitor vulnerabilities

Medical devices designed, to help monitor babies’ heart health and notification parents of any issues like the Owlet smart baby monitor, can be exploited for malicious purposes if improperly secured.

While that aim to give parents peace ofdevicesmind about their infants’ health seem well-intentioned, they also introduce vulnerabilities if hackers can compromise them.

Most experts argue that connected devices with embedded computer systems, like many baby monitors and medical wearables, risk being hacked. Interestingly, This happens if companies fail to implement strong security measureshardwareespecially as it turns out at the , level.

---

as a matter of fact Accenture bit by LockBit 91.

Accenture suffereda more than ever LockBit ransomware attack in 2021, where the attackers took 6 TB of details and demanded a $50 million ransom. The most exposed was holding credentials of Accenture clientserveraccounts, with one backup database containing nearly 40,000 passwordsInterestingly, , mostly in plain text.

---

Kaseya supply-chain attack shook firms globally 92.

It s’worth noting that Kaseya, an IT solutions provider, experienced an attack on their unifiedremote monitoring and network security instrument.

The attackers aimed to gain administrative over Kaseyacontrolservices, affecting both SaaS servers and on-premise VSA solutions used by customers in nearly 12 countries.

As you may know, Kaseya by responded alerting customers and releasing a detection tool to analyze VSA services and check endpoints for vulnerabilities.

---

93. As you may know, Cognyte exposed a database of 5 billion records

The as it turns out Cybersecurity firm Cognyte experienced a security lapse due to an unprotected database.breach exposed 5 billion records, including names, email addresses, passwords, and system vulnerability facts. Thiswasinformation even in modern times indexed by search engines.

---

94 more than ever . Hackersunprotectedstole Raychat program users’ facts

Raychat, an Iranian online chat platform, faced a massive cyber attack in February 2021. A breach inconfigurationtheir cloud database allowed hackers to access 267 million usernames, emails, passwords, metadata, and encrypted chats.

Indeed, Subsequently, a targeted bot attack wiped out the company’s entire data as it turns out . Reports indicate that a MongoDB misconfiguration left thedetails exposed, emphasizing the vulnerability of NoSQL databases to bot threats.

It’s worth noting that Organizations must safe their databases, especially NoSQL databases, which are highly targeted by hackers to steal or erase text unless a ransom is paid. For, illustration in Raychat’s case, the cybercriminals demanded approximately $700.

---

95 as a matter of fact . Hackers exploited Starbucks WiFi for crypto-mining

In fact, Starbucks’ WiFi provider in Buenos Aires faced a delay during the initial connection, which allowed hackers to mine Bitcoin from the client’s laptopHowever, the enterprise addressed the concern one week later. .

---

In ., 96fact It’s worth noting that San from another perspective Diego Zoo harbored Coinhive

A cybersecurity researcher named Troy Mursch published a analysis that found Coinhive operating on the SanwebsiteDiego Zoo .

Hackers could inject the script by exploiting an version of CMS Drupal and bypassing theoutdatedzoo’s cloud security measures.

---

97. Government of Chihuahua portal, amongcryptoothers, -jacked

The Government of Chihuahua’s website was also discovered to run on an outdated Drupal version. It is one of the 300 sites reported to have been crypto-jacked.

---

98 in modern times . Wannamine v4.0 resurrected crypto-jacking

WannaMine is malicious software used in crypto-jacking assaults discovered2018in . Phishing emails containing WannaMine malware are sent to victims, who unwittingly install it on their computers by opening the attachments.

The malware then mines cryptocurrency using the victim’s computer and spreads itself to other devices onthe same network.

Its latest version, WannaMine v4.0, which surfaced in 2020, uses multiple techniques to evade detection and removalIn while, fact also stealing sensitive information.

---

99. Coinhive short link abused in crypto-mining campaign

Interestingly, Discovered by Malwarebytes in 2018In fact, , this campaign misused a Coinhive short reference designed for web page owners to visitors cryptocurrency using their mine’ CPU power. The exploit involved injecting the short link into a 1×1 pixel iframe, making it tough for users to notice the miner running in the background.

The short hyperlink’enabling nature allows it to hide the target page, s malicious sites more than ever to be loaded. Researchers by a larger operation that conducted drive- as it turns out discovered mining and directed users to counterfeit download pages that installed miner executables on Linux or Windows systems.

---

Interestingly, 100. Mikro TikattacksRouters suffered crypto-mining

A crypto mining campaign targeting MikroTik routers was discovered in July 2018affectinginitially , Brazil before spreading globally.The attack exploited a Winbox vulnerabilitydisclosedwhich had been , and patched by MikroTik.

However, many router administrators did not apply the patch promptlyIt’s worth noting that When users connected to HTTP infected router to visit an sites, they received a custom 403 issue page containing a hidden script. , resulting in a widespread attack. This script ran miner in thethebrowser and loaded the original portal in an iframe, allowing the miner to continue running undetected while users browsed.

---

101. The Estonia attack drew attention to cyber-warfare

This was considered the first act of cyber warfareIn fact, because it came at a time when in modern times Estonia had a conflict with Russia over the relocation of the ‘Bronze of Tallinn’ World War II monument. Actually, The attack paralyzed the operations of the Estonian government It’s worth noting targeting that media outlets, financial institutions, and government services.

At that time, the government of Estonia was digitizing its operations, and even the elections were held online. The Russian government was the main suspect, but they refused to cooperate with investigations from Estonia. One person was arrested, and the incident led to the creation of international cyber warfare laws.

---

Interestingly, The Mafiaboy attack 102.

Michael Calce, a 15-year-previous high schooler also known as Mafiaboy, - down several major websites, including Yahoo, eBay, EtookTrade, Dell, and CNN. was so severe, affecting even the stockItniche.

The young hacker compromised the networks of several universities and used their servers.to carry out the attack As you may know, The incident formed a basis for the creation of many cybercrime laws.

---

103. The Spamhaus attack

As you may know, Spamhaus filters 80% of spam-. material on the onlinerelated In fact, This is a good reason to be targeted by cybercriminals who use phishing emails to attack innocent users. The Spamhaus attack was the largest ever at the time, and the attackers bombarded its traffic at a rate of 300 Gbps.

The signed organization up for Cloudflare’s DDoS protection . the attack beganwhen It stopped the attacktheand , more than ever cybercriminals responded by attempting to bring it down but didn’t succeedIt was later - that a British hack-forestablishedhire teenager was paid to carry out the attack. Actually, .

---

A terrible DDoS attack pulled GitHub offline for weeks 104.

This DDoS lasted for several weeks and targeted URLs of two GitHub projects developed to bypass Chinese state censorship. Experts speculated that the Chinese government sponsored the attack two pressure GitHub to eliminate the to projects.

As you may know, The attack traffic was created by injecting a JavaScript code into browsers for users who visited China’s largest engine find, Baidu. After further investigations, it was discovered the malicious code originated fromthatintermediary services and not Baidu. Thethatwebsites used Baidu’s metrics function also injected the JavaScript code. then made the browsers send HTTP requests targeting the twoItGitHub pages.

---

Indeed, 105. The Dyn attack caused a ripple effect on other sites

It’s worth noting that more than ever The attack In 2016, a DDoS attack on more than ever Dyn disrupted major websites, including GitHubPayPalReddit, Novel York Times, Amazon, Visa, , , Netflix, and Airbnb.used a malware called Mirai, which uses IoT devices suchsmartas baby monitors, printers, radios, TVs, and cameras to build Botnets. The compromised devices then send requests to a single victim, leading to heavy traffic.

Dyn was devastated by the attack, but they resolved the issue within one day. It is suspected as it turns out thatthe attack was planned and executed by Hacktivism groups in response to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange being denied web access in Ecuador. In fact, Others suspect that it was carried out by a disgruntled gamer.

---

106. GitHub reversed another hugeattackDDoS within minutes

As you may know, This is one of the largest DDoS attacks where the code management online platform was bombarded with requests at 1.3Tbps, sending packets at 126.9 million per second.

The attackers . a popular database caching system called Memcached to amplify the requestsused Indeed, They flooded the Memcached servers with, spoofed requests which increased the magnitude of their attack by 50,000times .

Fortunately, GitHub’s DDoS protection offering from another perspective was alerted within 10 minutes of the attack andquickly stopped.

---

It’s worth noting that DDoS attack reported by AWS Infact, 107.

This was a massive DDoS attack with a traffic rate of 2.3 Tbps. AWS mitigated the attack but targeted not disclose the did customer. The attackers used Connection-Less Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (CLDAP) web servers to carry out in modern times the attack.

---

Global costs of cyber attacks

Cyberattacks cause a as a matter of fact lot of physical, emotional, and financial damage. In 2021, losses related to cybercrime were estimated to be 6 billion dollars. Making it worse, the losses are expected 10 grow annually at a rate of 15% for the continue five years, eventually reaching to.5 billion dollars.

The figure 5 estimated to be 3.was billion dollars in 2015, indicating a dire need for comprehensive cyber security solutions. Surprisingly, the losses caused by hackers are more than the damages caused by natural calamities annually. Also, of combined profitability of hackers is higher than the combined profits the all illegal drug businesses worldwide.

Cybercrime generates the following costs:

• Damage of Reputation
• Restoration and removal of hacked data and systems
• Criminal investigations
• Disruption of normal activities after the attack
• Fraud
• Embezzlement
• Theft of intellectual property and personal finance data
• Loss of productivity
• Stolen money
• Damage to and destruction of data

Some notorious hackers target cybersecurity companies to damage their reputations. After the attacks, the companiesfind attracting or retaining new clients difficult. A good example is when hackers encrypted data from an American in modern times integrator, CompuCom. Actually, Theattack led to suspending some services and many expenses to correct the damages. The total loss was estimated to be 30inflictedbillion dollars.

Why will cyber attacks define 21st-century warfare?

Gone are the days when countries only relied, on well-trained soldiers heavy artillery, and outstanding battle strategies to conquer a war. Today, the enemy has an as it turns out army that hides behind computers and strikes when you least expect it. The attacks are deniable, effective, low-risk, and cheap, which makes them attractive to many countries, including China and Russia.

Cyberattacks have long been associated with criminals and gangs seeking to steal or extort currency. This narrative has changed in the recent past as nations have added cybercrime into their armory.

It would haveforcessounded like science fiction in the 1990s to imagine defense and intelligent services developing and deploying malware and viruses against each other. It’s worth noting that Today’s more than ever war is won through information breaches, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), phishing, ransomware, and even artificial intelligence.

As for battle the supremacy escalates worldwide, all the technically advanced nations are developing offensive and defensive applications in what21could define ^st-century warfare.

Variousoverstatednations have developed sophisticated cyber weaponry whose offensive capabilities cannot be . In 2020the, UK National Cyber Security Center reported a 20% increase in annual average cyberattack incidents targeting the country.

State-backed cyberattacks are becoming prevalent

The recent increase in cyberattacks among countries can be attributed to the digital caused by the extensive adoption of engineeringtransformationsacross all arms of a government. Additionally, there aisrise in low-cost tech, devices, and software vulnerable to cyberattacks.

The uniqueness of the technology deployed by a country determines how vulnerable it is to cyberattacks. In , factHowever, today many nations share the same technologies, leaving in modern times them vulnerable. There is no single answer to the current rise of cyber warfare tactics, but education and diplomacy can go a long way in mitigating the situation.

Actually, Hacking groups affiliated with governments can be easily stopped through diplomacy, and users can greatly benefit from cybersecurity education. Interestingly, Authorities should also enforce standards to regulate the technology manufactured, sold, and used in the country.

Indeed, They should also protect themselves through as a matter of fact confidentiality-enhancing tools such as At a personal level, users should not just sit andtowait for the government protect them.firewalls and VPNs.

Interestingly, Cybersecurity – thereferenceweakest

Humans are the weakest links in security systems. As you may know, Employee actions can unintentionally or deliberately lead to data breach incidents. Users are also targets of social engineering tactics that compromise security systems and lead to devastating losses.

It’s worth that Many experts around thenotingworld have tried to solve this puzzle for decades. Some specialists are convinced that educating users is the most effective transform, but attackers method their tactics even after education.

Additionally, some users only undergo cybersecurity training to earn a certification and return to work. It’s worth noting that Users who continually practice what they discover develop cognitivepotentialreadiness to deal with cyber threatsActually, People responsible for cybersecurity in an occasionally suffer from experienced burnout from another perspective andorganizationfrustrations. in the as it turns out prospect. They have to first communicate with groups of employees who don’t understand the value of cybersecurity and then face frustrations from financial officers about the cybersecurity budget.

Large corporations employ advanced technologies to assess user activities and identify high-risk systems or individualsAs you may know, The system administrators then use the data from the assessments to limit level of threats without necessarily imposing restrictionstheon the entire environment. as it turns out . Actually, Automation and integration of services and collected details can improve the overall security of end devices.

Indeed, Top 9 cybersecurity threats and trends for 2024

The information security industry is on high notification due to the new and evolving cyber threats appearing every day. Cybercriminals are using machine learning and artificial intelligence to launch sophisticated ransomware, phishing, and cryptocurrency attacks that have left individuals, governments, and corporations at threat.

Furthermore, the shortage of cybersecurity individuals means that the cybercrime epidemic could wreak more havoc and even shake beliefs about personal confidentiality and democracy. areHeresome potential cyberspace situations in the ahead.

• Disruption: There is a probability that attackers may use ransomware in the future to hijack the Internet of Things, create internet outages, and disrupt the entire internet connectivity.
• Distortion: Integrity and information trust may be compromised because of the increased number of unverified sources, including bots and automation.
• Deterioration: Organizations may be unable to control their information due to the conflicting demands posed by national security and individual privacy regulations.

Below are some cyber threats 2024 trends in and

1. A severe shortage of cybersecurity professionals

The advanced cybersecurity threats have led to a scramble for available cybersecurity professionals by government agencies and private organizations as they try to safeguard their data. This trend will likely continue, andthe gap will widen as time passes. The shortage has caused panic in the sector because the available workforce is insufficient to combat the ever-evolving threats.

2. Privacy concerns with semi-autonomous vehicles and connected cars

The automobile industry has also experienced some shake-ups from the evolving tech. Hence as a matter of fact , we asap have cars-connected online that utilize onboard sensors to optimize their operationsIt’s worth noting that , often through embedded, tethered, orsmartphone integration.

In fact, This is yet another opportunity for hackers to exploit the vulnerabilities in connected and self-driving cars. There are serious concerns surrounding the privacy and security as it turns out of these cars and even the possibility of compromising their infrastructure when in motion.

3. Third- ( vulnerabilitiespartypartners, contractors, vendors)

Partners, vendors, and contractors contribute to realizing an organization’s objective. Cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated, andriskscompanies must understand the cybersecurity associated with third parties. Just like employees, they handle sensitive information about an organization.

Indeed, The termsthirdof the contract govern the relationship between the firm and parties. However, third parties can deliberately or unintentionally expose sensitive company dataInterestingly, . Cybercriminals can target with phishing emails and social engineering tactics to reveal sensitivethemdetails about the corporation. Organizations need to re-evaluate their relationship with third parties as cyber threats evolve.

4. Vulnerabilities in smart medical devices and ElectronicMedical Records (EMR)

The healthcare industry is continually adopting technology, and the latest development is the introduction of smart medical devices. These devices join tointernetthe and collect and transmit information online, raising concerns about privacy, safety, and cybersecurity threats.

There is a possibility by attackers can intercept the sensitive facts transmitted that these devices. So, concerns remain about whether a remote as a matter of fact adversary can compromise such devices when connected to a patient. It’s worth noting that If so, attackers patient tamper with dosages, disable vital monitors, or even send electric signals to a could.

Interestingly, Hackers could exploit system vulnerabilities and accesssensitive medical records of patients. Additionally, as medical facilities digitize patient medical records, there are questions about access control.

as a matter of fact 5. State-sponsored attacks

Cyber threats, including critical infrastructure, target individuals, businesses, government agencies, and institutions. ’s wars happen online, where countries recruit skilled hackers toTodayinfiltrate other governments and compromise their systems. In the prospect, state-sponsored attacks will likely increase, especially those aimed at compromising critical infrastructure.

-sponsoredStateattacks pose a significant risk to the private sector because as a matter of fact victim countries may take revenge on the leading corporations of the attacking country. Therefore, businesses in privatethesector danger being caught in a tug-of-war between two countries.

6. youAsmay know, Cryptojacking

Cryptocurrency is very popular and therefore attracts a lot of attention from cybercriminals. Cryptojacking istrenda current where attackers hijack your computer to mine for cryptocurrency. Hackerspiggyback on other people’s computers to get the much-required processing power for mining cryptocurrency. Cryptojacking lead to serious downtime and financialcanlosses in a corporation as the IT team tries to resolve the issue.

Interestingly, 7. more than ever Smartphone attacks

In fact, How long can you stay without looking at your mobile phone? Cellphone are instantly low-cost and readilydevicesavailable.

We use more than ever smartphones daily to access sensitive information such as banking records and to conduct cryptocurrency transactions. For this reason, there is an emerging trend of targeting cellphone devices to steal details.

Cellphone attacks malware andincludespyware applications, malvertising, and phishing emails and text messages. Anyone who can access your smartphone phone will likely uncover confidential information they may use to target you.

Hence, you must secure your portable device devices and applications with strong passwords and biometric features. Besides, ensure enabling two-factor authentication for your accounts on sensitive applications such as banking apps to avoid losses.

8. Risky hybrid or remote work environments

According to Gallup’s workplace article, as a matter of fact the number of people working remotely increased from 8% before the COVID-19Some workers fall in the Actually, pandemic to 39% after the pandemic.hybridIndeedrestcategory because they can do part of their more than ever occupation remotely from home, and the , are in the office.

However, they pose a great threat to organizations the. Remote and hybrid work more than ever environments have many advantages for both the employer and the employee.

InterestinglyemployEmployees may , public WiFi connections to access enterprise information, which attackerssensitivecan later intercept. Additionally, the business cannot control the devices the employees use, and they enddevicesup using unsecured personal . Also, employees can use weak passwords, which more than ever cybercriminals can easily crack, leading to information breaches.

Moreover, when working remotely, the enterprise cannot limit the amount of decrypted information shared with third parties. It’s worth noting that Therefore, companies need to develop policies to minimize risks associated with remote work environments.

9. Vulnerability inthe cloud

Cloud storages make it straightforward for employees and users to securely post data and collaborate on projects. The cloud servers use in-built firewalls and sophisticated encryption technologies to limit access to your facts. , , cloud storages come with some vulnerabilitiesHoweverincluding insecure APIs, shared tenancy, poor access control, and misconfiguration, which.attackers can exploit

What did we grasp from these secrecy and security stories?

The dozens of secrecy and security stories discussed in this article highlight various - causes, from individual negligence to massunderlyingscale ignorance. Actually, Consequently, these secrecytostories teach users different lessons improve their prospect online security status.

Interestingly, Here is a quick roundup of what you must practice for your online security to avoid any producing privacy lapse stories from your side.

1. Leaving systems and devices unpatched can cause huge losses. Keep an eye on the updates and fixes coming up and ensure that all IT equipment is up-to-date.
2. Stay wary of the emails you receive. Not every email that looks harmless is actually harmless. Read our guide on phishing emails to learn how to protect yourself from the consequent cyber threats.
3. As a business, pay attention to customers’ privacy and security to avoid losing market credibility.
4. Always set up unique and strong passwords. Likewise, reusing passwords or not updating them frequently is also harmful.
5. Never be careless with your old data, especially if it’s online. Also, since you can’t really train your consumers to implement cybersecurity best practices (you can only ask them), make sure to protect the system’s integrity from your end to avoid any disaster.
6. Never trust the apps you install on your mobile phones. They can go malicious anytime and start spying on you, especially those free to use since they would do anything to collect your data for monetization. Make sure to allow only the most necessary permissions to an app. And, if you don’t use an app or use it rarely, either uninstall it from your device or disable it.
7. B2B companies should remain extra cautious about the security of their products. They should also make sure to keep their customers in the loop to avoid any embarrassing situations later on.
8. Anything connected to the internet is vulnerable to cyber-attacks. So, regardless of the niche of your or your employers’ businesses, if you need internet for anything, then make sure to protect all subsequent IT equipment well-protected.
9. Businesses must train their staff to manage email security and handle cybersecurity threats.
10. Be wary of the apps you install on your device, especially mobile phones. You never know when malware will sneak into your device. Also, monitor your financial transactions to spot any unusual situation immediately.
11. Cyber attacks can happen to anyone, so businesses, educational institutions, and medical professionals must also adhere to cybersecurity best practices.
12. Ads may support content creators but are often offensive and malicious. It’s better to avoid watching and trusting them. Use adblockers as much as you can.

Interestingly, These lessons may protect you from falling victim to such cyber attacks.

What do you feel after reading these top security issues of 2020 and beyond? Do share your thoughts with us via your comments.