Cybersecurity

What we have learned from 2015's biggest cyber hacks

In July, a hacking collective known as the “Impact Team” stole and exposed the personal details of more than 11m people signed up to the infidelity social network Ashley Madison. The data dump included names, addresses, phone numbers, credit card details and embarrassing email exchanges of cheating spouses, resulting in divorce proceedings, blackmail and the firing of the chief executive.

But if you’ve even glanced at the news headlines this year, you’ll know it was hardly the only cyberhack that disrupted lives, exposing and selling people’s most private moments – from photos of children, to information about intimate health problems – to the highest bidder.