Data Breaches: Top Major Companies Who Have Been Hacked
You're not just imagining it: Lately, a new data breach has been reported almost every week. Here's how to find out if your information has been exposed.
At this point, there have been so many data breaches, it’s more likely than not that some of your personal information has been compromised. “There are two kinds of consumers — those who know they’ve been breached, and those who don’t,” says Identity Theft Resource Center president and CEO Eva Velasquez.
Many Americans are in the first camp. According to a Gallup poll, 27% of Americans say their credit card information has been stolen in the past year, and 11% say their computer or smartphone has been hacked. And the rest are scared: Almost 70% of Americans worry that hackers will steal their credit card numbers from retailers, and 62% worry that hackers will target the
ir personal devices.
It’s hard to say whether there has really been an increase in the number of data breaches, or we’ve just gotten better at detecting and reporting incidents, Velasquez says. Either way, the outdated magnetic stripe technology in the United States probably makes it too easy for hackers to run off with your credit card number.
“Thieves are going to go where it’s easiest to steal,” Velasquez says. “We’ve got the most antiquated technology protecting the actual cards, and we’re the biggest issuer of those cards – we’re a treasure trove.”
At MONEY, we’re tracking the major data breaches that may have exposed your personal information in recent months. Read on to see if you’ve been affected. If so, we’ll walk you through what you need to know about protecting yourself from identity theft.
1. Premera Blue Cross
What kind of data was exposed? Names, birthdays, email addresses, addresses, telephone numbers, Social Security numbers, member identification numbers, bank account information and medical claims information When was the data exposed? May 5, 2014 to Jan. 29, 2015 Who was affected? Individuals with Premera Blue Cross, Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska, Vivacity and Connexion Insurance Solutions, Inc. health plans How many people were affected? 11 million
2. Anthem
What kind of data was exposed? Names, birthdays, medical IDs, social security numbers, street addresses, email addresses and employment information, including income data When was the data exposed? Unknown Who was affected? Employees and current and former customers of Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia, Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Amerigroup, Caremore, Unicare, Healthlink, and DeCare How many people were affected? 80 million
3. Chick-fil-A
What kind of data was exposed? Customer payment card numbers (reportedly) When was the data exposed? Dec. 2, 2013 to Sept. 30, 2014 (reportedly) Who was affected? Chick-fil-A customers How many people were affected? Unknown
4. Sony
What kind of data was exposed? Names, addresses, Social Security numbers, internal emails and other personal information When was the data exposed? November 24, 2014 Who was affected? Current and former employees How many people were affected? About 47,000
5. U.S. Postal Service
What kind of data was exposed? Names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, addresses, employment dates and emergency contact information When was the data exposed? Unknown Who was affected? U.S. Postal Service employees. Customers who contacted the Postal Service Customer Care Center between Jan. 1, 2014, and Aug. 16, 2014 may have had their names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses and other information exposed, but not their Social Security numbers or credit card numbers, so the USPS says affected customers do not need to take any action. How many people were affected? 800,000 USPS employees
6. Staples
What kind of data was exposed? Customer payment card numbers When was the data exposed? July 20, 2014 through September 16, 2014 Who was affected? Staples customers at 115 stores How many people were affected? 1.16 million
7. Viator.com
What kind of data was exposed? Customer payment card numbers, email addresses and passwords When was the data exposed? Sept. 2, 2014 Who was affected? Customers on the travel site Viator How many people were affected? 1.4 million
8. Home Depot
What kind of data was exposed? Customer payment card numbers When was the data exposed? April 2014 to September 2014 Who was affected? Home Depot customers How many people were affected? 56 million
9. JP Morgan
What kind of data was exposed? Names, phone numbers, addresses and email addresses When was the data exposed? June 2014 to July 2014 Who was affected? JP Morgan account holders How many people were affected? 76 million
10. Snapchat
What kind of data was exposed? User ID's, Names, Passwords, Phone Numbers, and email addresses When was the data exposed? Jan 2014 Who was affected? Snapchat Users How many people were affected? 4.6 million