The concept of hacking gained notoriety in the 1990s with several high-profile cybercrimes. Among the most infamous hackers were Kevin Mitnick, Kevin Poulsen, Robert Morris, and Vladimir Levin. Their activities ranged from stealing proprietary software to executing the first digital bank heist, as well as launching the first computer worm, which significantly impacted the perception of hacking at the time.
Significant Cyber Attacks
From 2000 onwards, large corporations and government agencies increasingly became targets for cyberattacks. Notable incidents include Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks that affected prominent companies such as Microsoft, eBay, Yahoo!, and Amazon. A particularly infamous case occurred when a 15-year-old boy successfully breached the systems of both the US Department of Defense and the International Space Station, demonstrating the vulnerabilities that even highly secured entities could face.
Recent Trends
In 2023, network intrusion was identified as the most common type of cybercrime in the United States, accounting for 51% of reported incidents. Business Email Compromise (BEC) followed closely behind, representing 26% of data security breaches. Additionally, 11% of companies reported cases of inadvertent data disclosure. These statistics underline the evolving landscape of cyber threats and the continuing challenge they pose to both businesses and government entities.
Timeline of Significant Cyber Incidents
A comprehensive timeline has documented significant cyber incidents since 2006, with a focus on attacks that resulted in financial losses exceeding one million dollars. This ongoing record emphasizes the scale and severity of cybercrimes targeting government agencies, defense contractors, and high-tech companies. The history of hacking continues to shape discussions around cybersecurity and the measures necessary to protect sensitive information in a rapidly changing digital world.
More reading:
https://www.csis.org/programs/strategic-technologies-program/significant-cyber-incidents
https://www.statista.com/statistics/293256/cyber-crime-attacks-experienced-by-us-companies/