Hacking, whether with dire implications or for “lulz”, has a colorful history.

Hacking occupies a prominent position in the pantheon of cybercrime.

Despite the occasionally romantic portrayal, hacking poses a real threat.

The 20 Biggest Hacking Attacks of All Time

In 1998, following extradition to the US,Levin was jailed for three years.

The TJX and Hannaford Bros attacks alone are estimated to have caused$250 million worth of damageseach.

Gonzalez was eventually caught and jailed for 20 years.

The 20 Biggest Hacking Attacks of All Time

But as is so often the case in these events, no concrete proof was ever found.

It also proved to be incredibly difficult to eliminate, and was still infecting systems worldwide many years later.

Perhaps in the end it was just a demonstration of what was possible.

The 20 Biggest Hacking Attacks of All Time

One such provider is Comodo.

The Spamhaus case is a little different.

When Spamhaus added Dutch hosting service Cyberbunker to the list, all hell broke loose.

The 20 Biggest Hacking Attacks of All Time

However, that does not mean it is immune to the unwanted attentions of cyber criminals.

Bitcoin operates a series ofexchanges, which are web sites where people can swap ordinary currency into Bitcoin.

But the Bangladesh Bank heist was noteworthy for how the attackers got into the banks IT systems.

Phreaking

The gang responsible had planned to remove $950 million, before a simple error blew their cover.

The WannaCry attack in May 2017 was different, however.

It was the first known example ofransomware operating via a worm, i.e.

Operation Get Rich

a piece of viral software which replicates and distributes itself.

The attackersdemanded $300 per computerto unlock the code.

2018

Facebook

Even big social media platforms can get hacked.

Playstation network

Hacking and cybercrime are now everyday realities of our world, creating a billion-dollar black market industry.

So is there any way to stay safe from the hackers?

Given the highly sophisticated and ever-evolving nature of their methods, it is very difficult.

Bitcoin

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WannaCry ransomware

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