Data Exfiltration

Home Depot Data Breach April 2014

Prevented by: HSF, PEC, EGR

The Home Depot data breach, occurring in April 2014, resulted in the theft of over 56 million payment card records through custom-built malware targeting point-of-sale systems across the US and Canada. Organized cybercriminal groups deployed POS-scraping malware using stolen vendor credentials, exfiltrating high volumes of financial data. This incident highlights significant vulnerabilities in third-party access management and the effectiveness of traditional security measures against advanced threats.

Adobe 2013 Data Breach

Prevented by: EGR

In October 2013, Adobe suffered a significant data breach compromising 153 million user records, including encrypted credit card information and user account details such as usernames and email addresses. The breach, one of the largest in cybersecurity history, was executed by exploiting vulnerabilities in Adobe’s systems, notably through outdated encryption practices and unpatched ColdFusion servers. The attack was attributed to financially motivated cybercriminals, likely from Eastern Europe or Russia, aiming to sell the stolen data on the black market.

Court Ventures (Experian) Data Breach

In October 2013, a Vietnamese threat actor accessed Court Ventures’ database, compromising approximately 200 million personal records including Social Security numbers and credit card details. The breach occurred through exploitation of data-sharing vulnerabilities and inadequate verification processes, highlighting a major security lapse in third-party partnerships.

Yahoo Data Breach August 2013

Prevented by: HSF, PEC, EGR

In August 2013, Yahoo suffered one of the largest data breaches in history, compromising the account information of approximately 3 billion users. The exposed data included usernames, email addresses, telephone numbers, hashed passwords using MD5, and both encrypted and unencrypted security questions and answers. The attack was attributed to state-sponsored actors from Russian intelligence, highlighting a significant cyber-espionage operation.

MySpace Data Breach

In June 2013, over 360 million user accounts on MySpace were compromised, exposing usernames, email addresses, and passwords due to inadequate security practices. The passwords were stored using weak SHA-1 hashes without salting, making them vulnerable to cracking. A Russian hacker known as “Peace” was linked to this major breach. MySpace subsequently improved its security by adopting double-salted hashing techniques.

Greece Government Data Breach 2012

Prevented by: EGR · Contained by: HSF

In 2012, the Greece government was hacked, exposing 9,000,000 records, including addresses, ID card data, tax ID numbers, and license plate numbers.

LinkedIn Password Breach

Prevented by: HSF, PEC, EGR

The LinkedIn Password Breach in 2012 affected over 117 million user accounts by exposing passwords hashed with the insecure SHA1 algorithm, unsalted. The breach data was subsequently sold on cybercrime forums, with LeakedSource holding a searchable database. The exposure of user credentials posed significant risks of unauthorized account access.

Google Aurora Incident

Prevented by: PEC, EGR

The Google Aurora Incident was a significant cyber attack in December 2009 targeting Google and other corporations. The attack, attributed to actors linked to the Chinese state, aimed to steal intellectual property and infiltrate Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. Attackers exploited a zero-day vulnerability in Internet Explorer, using malware to gain unauthorized access and exfiltrate sensitive data.

Heartland Payment Systems Data Breach

Prevented by: PEC, EGR

The Heartland Payment Systems data breach in 2008 compromised approximately 130 million payment card records. The breach was executed using SQL injection attacks to install malware, capturing sensitive financial data such as credit card numbers over a prolonged period. Albert Gonzalez, a known cybercriminal, was attributed as the architect of this breach. The incident revealed significant vulnerabilities in Heartland’s transaction processes leading to substantial financial and reputational damage.

TJX Companies Inc. Data Breach

Prevented by: PEC, EGR

The TJX Companies Inc. data breach, discovered in January 2007 but originating in July 2005, compromised 94 million records, including credit card data and personal information such as driver’s license numbers. Attackers exploited outdated WEP encryption on TJX’s wireless networks, leading to a major security incident impacting numerous customers.