--- title: "6 Biggest Data Breaches From Recent Years That Lay Down The Importance Of Adopting Anti-Phishing & Cybersecurity Tools | Phish Protection" description: "Data breaches have become a part of people" image: "https://phishprotection.com/og/blog/6-biggest-data-breaches-from-recent-years-that-lay-down-the-importance-of-adopting-anti-phishing-cybersecurity-tools.png" canonical: "https://phishprotection.com/blog/6-biggest-data-breaches-from-recent-years-that-lay-down-the-importance-of-adopting-anti-phishing-cybersecurity-tools/" --- Quick Answer Data breaches have become a part of people's daily lives. Every day, there is news about network infiltrations and data stealing. So far, almost 3.5 billion people have their data stolen only from the two most significant data breaches in history in the current century. Share [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fphishprotection.com%2Fblog%2F6-biggest-data-breaches-from-recent-years-that-lay-down-the-importance-of-adopting-anti-phishing-cybersecurity-tools%2F "Share on LinkedIn") [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=6%20Biggest%20Data%20Breaches%20From%20Recent%20Years%20That%20Lay%20Down%20The%20Importance%20Of%20Adopting%20Anti-Phishing%20%26%23038%3B%20Cybersecurity%20Tools&url=https%3A%2F%2Fphishprotection.com%2Fblog%2F6-biggest-data-breaches-from-recent-years-that-lay-down-the-importance-of-adopting-anti-phishing-cybersecurity-tools%2F "Share on X/Twitter") [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fphishprotection.com%2Fblog%2F6-biggest-data-breaches-from-recent-years-that-lay-down-the-importance-of-adopting-anti-phishing-cybersecurity-tools%2F "Share on Facebook") [ ](https://reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fphishprotection.com%2Fblog%2F6-biggest-data-breaches-from-recent-years-that-lay-down-the-importance-of-adopting-anti-phishing-cybersecurity-tools%2F&title=6%20Biggest%20Data%20Breaches%20From%20Recent%20Years%20That%20Lay%20Down%20The%20Importance%20Of%20Adopting%20Anti-Phishing%20%26%23038%3B%20Cybersecurity%20Tools "Share on Reddit") [ ](mailto:?subject=6%20Biggest%20Data%20Breaches%20From%20Recent%20Years%20That%20Lay%20Down%20The%20Importance%20Of%20Adopting%20Anti-Phishing%20%26%23038%3B%20Cybersecurity%20Tools&body=Check out this article: https%3A%2F%2Fphishprotection.com%2Fblog%2F6-biggest-data-breaches-from-recent-years-that-lay-down-the-importance-of-adopting-anti-phishing-cybersecurity-tools%2F "Share via Email") ![Phish Protection blog post image](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2021/04/protection-from-phishing-3586.jpg) _Data breaches have become a part of people’s daily lives_. Every day, there is news about network infiltrations and **data stealing**. So far, almost [3.5 billion](https://www.csoonline.com/article/2130877/the-biggest-data-breaches-of-the-21st-century.html) people have their data stolen only from the two most significant data breaches in history in the current century. _Data is the most valuable asset any entity holds_, be it a giant corporate or an individual. The frequency at which these mishaps keep occurring is an indication of the criticalness of adopting **robust cybersecurity** measures. Numerous tools available in the market promise complete network and hardware security, and it is wise that they are given adequate importance. ### Recent Statistics _The graphs below prove the fact that the threat from data breaches is real_. There has been a significant jump in **data breaches** affecting the financial sector because of its data-rich repositories. The nature of the violations has changed over the years too. _The government and military data breaches have seen dwindling numbers_, while those occurring to banking institutions have seen a quantum leap. ![Protection from phishing](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2021/04/protection-from-phishing-3586.jpg) ### 6 Recent Significant Data Breaches That Shook The World > “The most common pattern we see in support is customers who come to us after a phishing incident bypassed their existing email filter. They assumed their provider was handling it. The reality is that most built-in email filters were designed for spam, not for targeted phishing attacks. The threat landscape has moved past what basic filters can handle.” - **Vasile Diaconu**, Operations Lead, DuoCircle Below listed are six of the severe data breaches that have taken place in recent times. #### Twitter There was an attack on July 15, 2020, which targeted a small group of employees. _It was a spear-phishing exercise aimed at stealing internal information_. It was also focused on misleading the staff and planting rumors. _One of the tools that the spear-phishing activity used was human vulnerability and the ease with which an individual would trust another_. The malicious actors ultimately **attacked 130 Twitter accounts**, tweeting using 45 of them and accessing the inbox of 36\. They had also downloaded the Twitter data of 7\. They did all of it by using [specific employee credentials](https://www.teceze.com/twitter-breach-massive-cyber-attack-of-2020). #### Zoom _In April 2020, the communication app, Zoom, faced one of the worst data breach attempts_. More than **500,000 Zoom accounts** were compromised, and _the data obtained was sold on the Dark Web_. The malicious actors stole credentials through [credential stuffing method](https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2020/04/28/zoom-gets-stuffed-heres-how-hackers-got-hold-of-500000-passwords/?sh=2153f6255cdc), where malicious actors used data from older data breaches to log into the respective accounts. Usually, such log-in credentials are all recorded and turned into a list. The list is then sold to the highest bidder on the Dark Web. #### Nintendo _A data breach that left **almost 300,000 Nintendo Network IDs** and accounts exposed occurred in April 2020_. The [breach occurred](https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/9/21285084/nintendo-nnid-switch-hack-accounts-affected-exposed) through unauthorized log-ins. Additional data breaches were countered through the resetting of passwords, after which Nintendo informed the users. Since then, the Japanese video gaming giant has been highly cautious and on strong guard for any future attacks. #### Marriott The [Marriott group](https://www.csoonline.com/article/3441220/marriott-data-breach-faq-how-did-it-happen-and-what-was-the-impact.html) is one of the largest chains of hotels in the world. Hence, _it was pretty disturbing for the group to discover the massive data breach in January 2020 that left **almost 5.2 million data** exposed_. The stolen information included the following: - First Name - Last Name - Email Address - Mailing Address - Phone Number Other than this, there was further loss of additional information about loyalty programs and discount coupons. Dates of birth, affiliations, and partnership to the hotel group were also part of the stolen package. Being one of the world’s largest hotel chains, they ought to **protect customer information** with greater zeal and intent. #### Unacademy [Unacademy](https://analyticsindiamag.com/10-biggest-data-breaches-that-made-headlines-in-2020/) is a Bengaluru-based online educational platform. It has witnessed huge popularity in recent times and hence has a sizable clientele. In January 2020, _it suffered its worst data breach attempt_. Consequently, **almost 20 million passwords** were compromised and exposed to the public. The information stolen included the following: - Usernames - SHA-256 hashed passwords - Date Joined - Last Login Date - Email Address - First Name - Last Name - Account Status The exposed accounts also included a few corporate accounts belonging to prestigious organizations, such as Google, Wipro, Infosys, and Cognizant. US-based cybersecurity organization Cybele announced the data breach. #### Big Basket In October 2020, the famous Indian eCommerce platform [Big Basket faced](https://entrackr.com/2020/11/hacker-puts-bigbaskets-20-million-users-data-on-sale/) its biggest cybersecurity nightmare. A massive data breach left exposed **almost 20 million user accounts**. Further analysis of the breach showed that it occurred on October 14 and was made public on November 07\. The information that was made public through this data breach was: - Full Names - Dates of Birth - IP Addresses of users’ devices As with most of the data stolen, _the list was put up on sale on the Dark Web for $40,000_. It was a tremendous cyber setback for the eCommerce giant. ![Phishing protection](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2021/04/phishing-protection-5784.jpg) ### Preventive Measures For Organizations To Avoid Data Breaches (Especially For SMEs) Given the number of data breaches taking place and their alarming frequency, organizations must take immediate steps to enhance their cybersecurity with the best [phishing protection service](/). It is applicable especially for SMEs who could not afford the losses incurred from a cybersecurity breach. _The following steps can help mitigate such data breaches to a significant extent_. - Initiate [training and awareness](/products/phishing-awareness-training/) sessions for employees to prevent them from falling into the phishing trap. - Place more focus on **email security** and its management since most phishing attempts happen through ubiquitous email. - Install and use appropriate cybersecurity tools after carefully going through the credentials of the service provider. ### Final Words Cybersecurity threats continue to increase as technology advances. It has forced organizations to spend more on cybersecurity tools such as **anti-phishing** and anti-ransomware ones. The recent data breaches are testimony to the fact that no one is out of risk. Hence, _the effort to enhance both internal and external security is a vital requirement_. It is always better to be safe than sorry. ## Topics [ Phishing ](/tags/phishing/) ![Brad Slavin](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/authors/brad-slavin.jpg) [ Brad Slavin ](/authors/brad-slavin/) General Manager Founder and General Manager of DuoCircle. Product strategy and commercial lead across DuoCircle's 2,000+ customer base. [LinkedIn Profile →](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradslavin) ## Protect your inbox from phishing attacks Real-time email security with 60-day free trial. No credit card required. [Start Free Trial](https://portal.duocircle.com/cart.php?a=add&pid=101&brand=phishprotection) [View Pricing](/pricing/) ## Related Articles [ Foundational 5m 0ktapus, Okta Breach Helps Attackers Launch Sophisticated Supply Chain Attacks Sep 5, 2022 ](/blog/0ktapus-okta-breach-helps-attackers-launch-sophisticated-supply-chain-attacks/)[ Foundational 4m 13 Spear Phishing Attacks Examples To Justify Investment For Phishing Prevention Solutions In Your Organization Aug 1, 2019 ](/blog/13-spear-phishing-attacks-examples-to-justify-investment-for-phishing-prevention-solutions-in-your-organization/)[ Foundational 4m All 14 centers of Kettering Health were affected by a massive ransomware attack, Major outage in the Ohio medical center May 23, 2025 ](/blog/14-centers-of-kettering-health-were-affected-by-massive-ransomware-attack-in-ohio-medical-center/)[ Foundational 4m 2021 Phishing Trends You Need To Be Wary Of Aug 2, 2021 ](/blog/2021-phishing-trends-to-be-wary-of/) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://phishprotection.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://phishprotection.com/images/phishprotection-logo.png"},"description":"Advanced phishing protection and email security for businesses. 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