• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Security

3 Security Breaches That Freaked Out U.S. Companies

Jeff John Roberts
By
Jeff John Roberts
Jeff John Roberts
Editor, Finance and Crypto
Down Arrow Button Icon
Jeff John Roberts
By
Jeff John Roberts
Jeff John Roberts
Editor, Finance and Crypto
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 21, 2016, 1:04 PM ET
Exterior pictures of Target store in Cloverdale Mall
Photograph by Getty Images

It feels like a U.S. company gets hacked every month or so. Anyone who works in an IT or legal department is familiar with the bad news that follows: data loss, class action lawsuit, and so on.

But not all data breaches make an equal impression, it turns out. A new survey published by Lookout, a mobile security firm in San Francisco, shows that certain hacking incidents spurred action far more than others.

The survey asked 500 information technology workers if they were familiar with recent profile hacks and, if so, if the incident had led to reviews or changes or their security protocols. Here are the three data breaches that made the biggest impressions:

1. Sony (2014)

The infamous case of North Korean hackers infiltrating Sony’s computers (SNE)—wrecking havoc with company files and emails—created the biggest chills among IT types. The survey reports that 93.4% of respondents were aware of the “hack of the century,”and that it led nearly all of them (92.2%) to review their security practices.

 

 

2. Target (2013)

The mother of all retail breaches, the Target (TGT) disaster involved hackers exploiting a third-party payment vendor to steal millions of customers’ credit card and personal information. The episode hit Target in the pocketbook and contributed to the exit of its CEO. Thus, it’s no surprise it left an impression in security community: 86.6% of respondents said they had heard about it, and 69.1% decided to check security protocols in response.

3. Office of Personnel Management (2015)

This is technically the U.S. government, but it was still a doozy involving Chinese hackers who pilfered the identify and social security numbers of millions of federal workers. Among IT workers in the survey, it made a bigger impression than big corporate hacks like LinkedIn (MSFT). While only 55.9% percent had heard of it, about two-thirds of those reviewed security in response.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

More generally, the report posits that IT workers are suffering “breach fatigue” because the take-action response has been declining for more recent incidents, such as those involving Apple (AAPL) and the FBI, and the SWIFT financial transfer system.

Another interesting aspect of the survey is where the respondents directed their attention after hearing of one these breaches: employees’ use of mobile devices and weak password choices. (The focus on employees is perhaps no surprise given how many use their credentials in ill-advised ways—like signing up for dating sites).

About the Author
Jeff John Roberts
By Jeff John RobertsEditor, Finance and Crypto
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jeff John Roberts is the Finance and Crypto editor at Fortune, overseeing coverage of the blockchain and how technology is changing finance.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Iran may have a higher tolerance for economic pain—but the pain is excruciating as regime reveals 100% inflation in just days on some items
EconomyIran
Iran may have a higher tolerance for economic pain—but the pain is excruciating as regime reveals 100% inflation in just days on some items
By Jason MaMay 8, 2026
23 minutes ago
Vincent Clerc speaks in front of a picture of a port.
EnergyShipping
The CEO of Maersk, which ships 14% of everything you buy, said the Iran war is adding $500 million in monthly costs it’s trying not to pass down
By Sasha RogelbergMay 8, 2026
43 minutes ago
Shivon Zilis was caught between Elon Musk, OpenAI, and motherhood
NewslettersMPW Daily
Shivon Zilis was caught between Elon Musk, OpenAI, and motherhood
By Emma HinchliffeMay 8, 2026
1 hour ago
Airfare is up 15%, gas is past $4, and SAP Concur data shows business travel is quietly breaking
Travel & Leisuregas prices
Airfare is up 15%, gas is past $4, and SAP Concur data shows business travel is quietly breaking
By Catherina GioinoMay 8, 2026
1 hour ago
hacking
CybersecurityHacking
Student hackers get revenge on final exams as ‘ShinyHunters’ takes down nearly 9,000 schools study software
By Heather Hollingsworth and The Associated PressMay 8, 2026
2 hours ago
Michael Saylor says remarks about selling Bitcoin were intended to jam short-sellers and ‘haters’ 
CryptoBitcoin
Michael Saylor says remarks about selling Bitcoin were intended to jam short-sellers and ‘haters’ 
By Ben WeissMay 8, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

California farmers must destroy 420,000 peach trees after Del Monte closes its canneries and cancels more than $550 million in long-term contracts
North America
California farmers must destroy 420,000 peach trees after Del Monte closes its canneries and cancels more than $550 million in long-term contracts
By Sasha RogelbergMay 7, 2026
21 hours ago
'Blue dot fever' plagues musicians like Post Malone, Meghan Trainor, and Zayn as a growing list of artists cancel tours due to lagging ticket sales
Arts & Entertainment
'Blue dot fever' plagues musicians like Post Malone, Meghan Trainor, and Zayn as a growing list of artists cancel tours due to lagging ticket sales
By Dave Lozo and Morning BrewMay 7, 2026
23 hours ago
U.S. Treasury will have to borrow $2 trillion this year just to continue functioning—more than $166 billion every month
Economy
U.S. Treasury will have to borrow $2 trillion this year just to continue functioning—more than $166 billion every month
By Eleanor PringleMay 7, 2026
1 day ago
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
Magazine
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
By Sharon GoldmanMay 6, 2026
2 days ago
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky warns two types of people won’t survive the AI era: ‘pure people managers’ and workers who resist change
Success
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky warns two types of people won’t survive the AI era: ‘pure people managers’ and workers who resist change
By Emma BurleighMay 7, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of May 7, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 7, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 7, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.