This week in cybersecurity from the editors at Cybercrime Magazine

Sausalito, Calif. – Jul. 20, 2026

– Read the full story in Yahoo! Finance

According to Cybersecurity Ventures, global cybercrime costs were projected to reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, up from $3 trillion in 2015. That figure is predicted to hit $12.2 trillion by 2031. This includes data theft, financial fraud, productivity losses, reputational damage, and recovery costs.

The 25 biggest cyberattacks in history covered by Yahoo! Finance were selected based on the amount of data compromised, financial cost, operational disruption, geopolitical impact, and the novelty of the attack method.

No single metric defines “biggest.” An attack that disrupts a nation’s fuel supply for days can be just as impactful as one that steals three billion user accounts — they just hurt differently.

THE LIST

1. Yahoo Data Breach (2013–2014)

2. Stuxnet (2010)

3. WannaCry Ransomware Attack (2017)

4. NotPetya (2017)

5. SolarWinds Supply Chain Attack (2020)

6. Equifax Data Breach (2017)

7. Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack (2021)

8. OPM Data Breach (2015)

9. Sony Pictures Entertainment Hack (2014)

10. JPMorgan Chase Data Breach (2014)

11. Target Data Breach (2013)

12. Adobe Data Breach (2013)

13. MOVEit Transfer Exploitation (2023)

14. Mirai Botnet Attack (2016)

15. Microsoft Exchange Server Attack (2021)

16. DNC Hack (2016)

17. Kaseya VSA Supply Chain Attack (2021)

18. Log4Shell Vulnerability Exploitation (2021)

19. Medibank Data Breach (2022)

20. Melissa Virus (1999)

21. Jonathan James / NASA and DoD Hack (1999)

22. Code Red Worm (2001)

23. SQL Slammer (2003)

24. Change Healthcare Cyberattack (2024)

25. Operation Aurora (2009–2010)

The threats will continue to evolve. AI is already being used to craft more convincing phishing emails, generate malware variants, and automate reconnaissance at scale. Quantum computing, while still emerging, threatens to eventually render current encryption obsolete. The battlefield keeps changing.

Read the Full Story

Cybercrime Magazine is Page ONE for Cybersecurity. Go to any of our sections to read the latest:

  • SCAM. The latest schemes, frauds, and social engineering attacks being launched on consumers globally.
  • NEWS. Breaking coverage on cyberattacks and data breaches, and the most recent privacy and security stories.
  • HACK. Another organization gets hacked every day. We tell you who, what, where, when, and why.
  • VC. Cybersecurity venture capital deal flow with the latest investment activity from various sources around the world.
  • M&A. Cybersecurity mergers and acquisitions including big tech, pure cyber, product vendors and professional services.
  • BLOG. What’s happening at Cybercrime Magazine. Plus the stories that don’t make headlines (but maybe they should).
  • PRESS. Cybersecurity industry news and press releases in real time from the editors at Business Wire.
  • PODCAST. New episodes daily on the Cybercrime Magazine Podcast feature victims, law enforcement, vendors, and cybersecurity experts.
  • RADIO. Tune into WCYB Digital Radio at Cybercrime.Radio, the first and only round-the-clock internet radio station devoted to cybersecurity.

Contact us to send story tips, feedback and suggestions, and for sponsorship opportunities and custom media productions.

The post The 25 Biggest Cyber Attacks In History appeared first on Cybercrime Magazine.