The following content is sponsored by Global X ETFs.
The Biggest Corporate Hacks of 2021
Businesses are a prime target for cybercriminals, regardless of their size, industry, or location.
In this graphic sponsored by Global X ETFs, we’ve visualized the largest corporate hacks of 2021, as measured by ransom size. The full list is also tabulated below.
| Victim | Country | Industry | Amount paid or requested (USD millions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | U.S. | Technology | Undisclosed |
| Kia Motors | South Korea | Automotive | $20M* |
| Bombardier | Canada | Aviation | Undisclosed |
| CNA Financial | U.S. | Financial Services | $40M |
| Harris Federation | UK | Education | $8M* |
| Colonial Pipeline | U.S. | Energy | $4.4M |
| Brenntag | German | Chemicals | $4.4M |
| JBS | Canada | Food | $11M |
| Kaseya | U.S. | Technology | $70M* |
| Accenture | U.S. | Technology | $50M* |
| Acer | Taiwan | Technology | $50M* |
*Requested but not paid in full. Source: Microsoft (2021), CRN (2021)
Continue reading below for details on some of these extraordinary hacks.
Energy: Colonial Pipeline Co.
The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack was the largest ever cyberattack on an American oil infrastructure target.
On May 7, hackers took down the company’s billing system and threatened to release stolen data if a ransom was not paid. During negotiations, the company halted its pipelines, resulting in gas shortages across the Southeastern United States.
It’s been reported that Colonial Pipeline promptly paid a ransom of $4.4 million in bitcoin (based on prices at the time). The FBI managed to retrieve some of these bitcoins, but their exact method was not revealed.
Technology: Accenture
Accenture, one of the world’s largest IT consultants, fell victim to a (Read more…)