Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.07.14
What were some of the largest data breaches in the years leading up to the course (2014-2022), and why do they keep getting bigger?
Data breaches escalated dramatically over 2014-2022, from millions to a billion records, because digitalization centralizes ever more data into attractive targets.
| Year | Company | Records Affected |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Yahoo | 1 billion |
| 2015 | Anthem | 80 million |
| 2015 | Ashley Madison | 32 million |
| 2016 | AdultFriendFinder | 412 million |
| 2017 | Equifax | 143 million |
| 2018 | 30 million | |
| 2018 | Marriott/Starwood | 500 million |
| 2019 | Capital One | 100 million |
| 2020 | Microsoft | 250 million |
| 2021 | 500 million | |
| 2022 | 500 million |
The trend is clear: breaches hit larger user counts and more sensitive data types over this period. And the reported numbers likely understate reality, since many breaches go undetected for months or years — the course source notes the unreported "Dunkelziffer" is probably much higher.
What to do about it:
- Check if your data has been leaked: haveibeenpwned.com, HPI Identity Leak Checker, or SwissLeak.
- Use unique passwords per service with a password manager.
- Enable two-factor authentication everywhere possible.
- Monitor accounts for suspicious activity.