The internet has been around for fewer than 30 years, but it’s already seen its fair share of cybersecurity breaches. These malicious events have resulted in massive personal information leaks, bank document releases, and even global economic catastrophes. Check out this list of the five biggest cyberattacks in world history.
1999 NASA Cyberattack
One might think that the agency that brought humanity to the moon would have its data well-secured. However, in 1999, NASA suffered an agency-wide computer shutdown that lasted for 21 days. What’s most astonishing about this cyber-breach is that it was done by a 15-year-old named James Jonathon. Jonathon’s prank cost NASA around $41,000 in repairs and compromised thousands of passwords and emails.
2007 Estonia Cyberattack
The 2000s were still the early days of the internet, so most cyber-hacks targeted organizations and businesses. In 2007, an unknown group of hackers attacked the cyberinfrastructure of Estonia, marking the very first attack on an entire country. The hackers successfully collected information on Estonia’s businesses, government, national banks, and various media outlets. There are rumors that the Kremlin conducted the attack, but these allegations have never been confirmed.
2009 RockYou Password Leak
In 2009, an internet forum user leaked the passwords of over 32 million users of the popular social media site RockYou for the entire world to see. This cyber-breach is a huge reason why network companies invest in quality data center power management to prevent any security weaknesses.
2015 Ukrainian Power Grid Attack
In 2015, the world’s first cyberattack targeting a country’s power grid left an entire region in Ukraine without power for a few hours. The effects of this attack were relatively minimal, but the size of its target is quite jarring. This event shed light on the importance of cyberattack prevention on a global scale.
2017 WannaCry Global Attack
WannaCry is a crypto-ransomware that targets personal computers running the Windows program. It can spread to other devices through networks, and in 2007, it successfully encrypted essential files on millions of computers, leaving them practically useless. The hackers demanded high ransoms from affected users, leaving many individuals in tough situations. This attack also affected massive industries in over 150 countries, costing the global economy nearly 12 billion dollars in total.
The five biggest cyberattacks in world history teach essential lessons to all internet-users. Large networks must always prepare for any malicious attacks, and individuals should practice safe internet behavior.
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