Data breaches have become a significant global issue, with hackers exploiting security weaknesses or human errors to steal sensitive information. Surfshark, a cybersecurity firm, reports that since 2004, approximately 60.9 billion data points have been compromised, with email addresses being the most targeted, totaling 17.2 billion breaches. Each leaked email often results in the exposure of an additional 2.5 data points, highlighting the extensive impact of such breaches.
The United States has experienced the highest number of data breaches, with over 12.5 billion data points compromised, including names, passwords, and other personal details. In Russia, over 4.3 billion data points have been exposed, with significant cases such as the 2019 breach of 60 million Sberbank credit card holders. China follows with about 2 billion exposed data points, including information from a major leak in 2019 affecting 364 million WeChat and QQ users.
France, Brazil, and India have also faced substantial breaches, with each country reporting over a billion data points compromised. Notable incidents include a ransomware attack on AXA in France, a large data leak in Brazil affecting 243 million people, and multiple breaches in India involving major companies and databases. The United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Canada have similarly been affected, with significant data leaks impacting millions of individuals across these nations.
These breaches highlight the global scale of data security challenges, with each country facing its unique set of vulnerabilities and incidents. The widespread exposure of personal information underscores the urgent need for improved cybersecurity measures to protect against such breaches and mitigate their impact on individuals and organizations worldwide.
Reference:
