Email threats in 2014

In 2014, there were several notable email threats that made headlines. Here are a few examples:

  1. Spear Phishing Attacks: In 2014, the US Department of Justice indicted five Chinese military officers for allegedly conducting a series of spear phishing attacks against US companies, including Westinghouse Electric and Alcoa. The attacks were designed to steal sensitive information and intellectual property.
  2. Heartbleed Bug: In April 2014, a vulnerability in the OpenSSL encryption library, known as the Heartbleed bug, was discovered. The bug allowed attackers to access sensitive information, including passwords and encryption keys, by exploiting a flaw in the way OpenSSL handled certain types of data. The bug affected millions of websites and devices worldwide.
  3. CryptoLocker Ransomware: In 2014, the CryptoLocker ransomware virus spread rapidly, encrypting files on infected computers and demanding payment in exchange for the decryption key. The virus was estimated to have infected over 200,000 computers worldwide, causing significant financial losses.
  4. Target Corporation Data Breach: In December 2013, Target Corporation announced that it had been the victim of a massive data breach, which compromised the credit and debit card information of over 40 million customers. The breach was attributed to a malware infection that was introduced to Target's systems through a third-party vendor.
  5. JPMorgan Chase Data Breach: In July 2014, JPMorgan Chase announced that it had been the victim of a massive data breach, which compromised the personal and financial information of over 76 million households and 7 million small businesses. The breach was attributed to a sophisticated cyberattack that exploited a vulnerability in JPMorgan's website.
  6. Yahoo! Data Breach: In 2014, Yahoo! announced that it had been the victim of a data breach, which compromised the email addresses, dates of birth, and security questions and answers of over 3 billion users. The breach was attributed to a state-sponsored attack.

These are just a few examples of the many email threats that occurred in 2014. The year saw a significant increase in the number and sophistication of cyberattacks, highlighting the need for individuals and organizations to take proactive measures to protect themselves against these threats.