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These Companies' Data Breaches Impact Their Users the Most

According to the numbers, Facebook and Yahoo breaches have affected the most people, while Amazon has fallen victim a record-breaking six times.

 & Jason Cohen Senior Editor, Help & How To

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Your online data isn't safe. Sensitive customer data, including personal details, credit card information, email addresses, and bank-account details are now stolen on a regular basis. Data breaches have become such a common occurrence that most people never hear about them. But which companies put your data at risk the most? The answers are telling.

Looking at individual data breaches, Money.co.uk found that breaches of Facebook and Yahoo databases have affected the most people in total. The 2018 hack of Facebook reportedly affected 2.2 billion people, which is considered the biggest ecommerce hack of all time. The 2013 Yahoo hack ranks second, with 1 billion users exposed.

total breaches

These are not the only data breaches each service has suffered. The third-biggest hack of all time was Facebook again, in 2021, which exposed another 533 million users. And after that? You guessed it—the 2014 hack of Yahoo that exposed 500K users. Facebook was also hacked in 2014, which exposed a mere 50K users. Yahoo's 2017 data breach exposed another 32K users.

Seeing all these data breaches grouped together shows how common they are for social-media sites: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and Tumblr, among others, have all been hit before. Gamers have also been targeted, with the 2011 PlayStation Network hack, the 2013 Ubisoft hack, the 2011 Steam hack, and the recent Nintendo data breach in 2020.

breaches by brand

Bit the company probably hit the hardest by data breaches is Amazon, which has suffered six in total with no clear indication as to how many customers have been affected. Customer data has been exposed multiple times over the years, and the recent fake reviews data leak shows how vulnerable AWS databases can be when not protected.

So what can we do to keep our data safe? While you can't prevent a hack to a database you don't control, you can do a few things to protect yourself. There are also tools that can tell you if one of your passwords has been stolen; be sure to change your password immediately in that case. Finally, if you are hacked, here's what to do first.

About Our Expert

Jason Cohen

Jason Cohen

Senior Editor, Help & How To

My Experience

As PCMag's editor of how to content, I have to cover a wide variety of topics and also make our stories accessible to everyday users. Considering my history as a technical writer, copywriter, and all-around freelancer covering baseball, comics, and more at various outlets, I am used to making myself into an expert.

I believe tech corporations are bad, but you might as well know how to use technology in everyday life. Want more how to content delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the tips and tricks newsletter that I curate twice a week.

The Technology I Use

My job as how-to guru means I use just about every gadget under the sun, so I can figure out how everything works. I work from a Lenovo ThinkPad running Windows 11, but also have a very large Dell Inspiron 17 3000 and Apple silicon MacBook. I also have a Google Pixel 6a for personal use and use a Galaxy Z Flip 4 for additional Samsung-related testing. For iOS coverage, an iPhone 13 mini works like a charm, though it's already becoming a little long in the tooth.

My desktop situation includes a dual monitor setup with a modest Acer monitor. I also use a Logitech mouse (who can use these ThinkPad trackpads) and a Havit keyboard (my first mechanical keyboard; I love it but my wife hates it!). I'm a recent convert from wired headphones; I have Anker Soundcore Liberty Air wireless earbuds for personal use and have taken to the Sennheiser HD 450BT headphones for work.

Whenever I have a second to myself, I'm probably gaming on my Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or Xbox Series S. I also still have a bunch of classic consoles lying around as well.

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