In March 2019, hacker Paige Thompson exploited a security flaw in Capital One’s cloud storage, stealing personal data from over 100 million people in the U.S. and Canada. The breach wasn’t discovered until July 2019. Thompson, a former tech worker, hacked the system to prove her skills, not for financial gain. However, Capital One faced $80 million in fines and lawsuits, while customers had to monitor their accounts for fraud. Thompson was sentenced to 5 years in prison. After the attack, Capital One improved security measures to prevent future breaches. The incident served as a wake-up call for companies to strengthen cloud security and protect customer data.
Paige Thompson, a former tech worker, hacked Capital One alone.
She stole personal data from over 100 million people, including names, addresses, and bank details.
The hack happened in March 2019, but Capital One discovered it in July 2019. It affected people in the U.S. and Canada.
She wanted to show off her hacking skills, not steal money.
She found a security weakness in Capital One’s cloud storage and tricked the system into letting her in.
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