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

Here Are 10 of the Biggest Corporate Hacks in History

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
June 22, 2017, 6:30 AM ET
Photo: KCNA/Reuters

Who has been hacked? It might be easier to ask who hasn’t been hacked, as Fortune explores in the cover story of our Jul. 1 issue. The list below is just a sample of big companies and institutions struck by major data breaches in the past five years. As you can see, no industry has been spared. By now, the damage has afflicted billions of consumer accounts and is costing the companies tens or hundreds of millions. Alas, cyber-crime tools are getting cheaper and more prolific—which means the hacking nightmare is unlikely to end anytime soon.

LinkedIn, 2012

In 2012, the professional network said 6.5 million accounts had been hacked. In 2016, it emerged that the breach was much worse: Hackers were selling name and password info for more than 117 million accounts.

Target, 2013

In December 2013, 110 million customers’ personal and financial information was ­exposed. CEO Gregg Steinhafel later resigned as part of the fallout from the massive breach.

JPMorgan, 2014

Hackers hijacked one of ­JPMorgan Chase’s servers and stole data about millions of the bank’s accounts, which they allegedly used in fraud schemes yielding some $100 million.

Home Depot, 2014

Hackers stole email and credit card data from more than 50 million customers. The breach cost the retail chain at least $179 million in settlements with consumers and credit card companies.

Sony, 2014

Hackers believed to be associated with North Korea rampaged through the servers of Sony Pictures Entertainment in retaliation for a film comedy showing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s face ­being melted off.

Hilton Hotels, 2015

Hackers got inside the chain’s payment system and reportedly stole customer credit card data from dozens of ­Hilton and Starwood chains from across the country.

Law Firms, 2015

Chinese hackers accessed email accounts at firms Cravath Swaine & Moore and Weil Gotshal & Manges—and learned about upcoming corporate mergers. They allegedly made $4 million trading on the information.

Swift, 2016

North Korean hackers reportedly exploited weaknesses in the SWIFT payment system to steal $81 million from the Bangladesh Central Bank’s account at the New York Federal Reserve.

Tesco, 2016

Hackers drained a total of around $3.2 million from more than 9,000 accounts in Tesco Bank, the bank run by the giant grocery chain. Tesco was forced to reimburse customers for the stolen money.

Chipotle, 2017

An Eastern European criminal gang reportedly used phishing to steal the credit card information of millions of Chipotle customers. The breach was part of a larger scam targeting restaurants.

A version of this article appears in the Jul. 1, 2017 issue of Fortune as part of the feature titled “Hacked.”

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 Tech

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
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
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
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

A plume of smoke rises from the port of Jebel Ali following a reported Iranian strike in Dubai on March 1, 2026.
Middle EastData centers
Iran’s attacks on Amazon data centers in UAE, Bahrain signal a new kind of war as AI plays an increasingly strategic role, analysts say
By Jeremy KahnMarch 9, 2026
1 hour ago
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei speaking into a microphone.
LawAnthropic
Anthropic sues the Pentagon after being labeled a threat to national security
By Beatrice NolanMarch 9, 2026
2 hours ago
InnovationEntrepreneurship
Billionaire Peter Diamandis offers $3.5 million to filmmakers who portray AI as the hero—not the villain
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMarch 9, 2026
2 hours ago
Business man on the phone with luggage
SuccessCareers
Worried about AI job cuts? It might be time to move to Europe, where companies are planning to hiring more—not less—workers thanks to AI
By Preston ForeMarch 9, 2026
2 hours ago
Women walk past a sign
AITech
People really hate AI but not as much as Iran—or Democrats
By Jake AngeloMarch 9, 2026
2 hours ago
stitch
Future of WorkSocial Media
‘It feels like a video game, but in real life’: Gen Z’s love of analog ‘grandma’ hobbies jump from Pokemon to bird-watching, scrolling to needlepoint
By Kaitlyn Huamani and The Associated PressMarch 9, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
Gen Z graduates who majored in ‘AI-proof’ careers like pharmacy, biology, and education are making less than $50,000 after graduation
By Emma BurleighMarch 6, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
This AI founder who quit her 9-to-5 law job has a warning for anyone dreaming of doing the same: 'I'm working harder now than I ever did'
By Emma BurleighMarch 8, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Anthropic just mapped out which jobs AI could potentially replace. A 'Great Recession for white-collar workers' is absolutely possible
By Jake AngeloMarch 6, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump’s $175 billion illegal tariff revenue is now accruing interest, and refund delays could be costing American taxpayers $700 million a month
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 4, 2026
5 days ago
placeholder alt text
Energy
Forget the U.S. Navy. The best protection for ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz may be claiming to be a 'Chinese' or 'Muslim' vessel
By Jason MaMarch 7, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Energy
'Nightmare scenario' looms as global markets head for the biggest oil output disruption in history, top energy guru warns
By Jason MaMarch 8, 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.