• Four Russians and a Ukrainian were charged in July in what prosecutors called the largest hacking scheme in U.S. history, a break-in to computers of retail chains including 7-Eleven Inc., Carrefour SA and Wet Seal Inc. and more than 160 million credit-card numbers.
Other big hacks
• An attack hit Heartland Payment Systems, a New Jersey credit-card processor, in 2009. Criminals used malware to break into the company's internal network and steal data for 130 million cards.
• Sony had to rebuild trust among PlayStation Network gamers after hackers in 2011 compromised personal information including credit-card data on more than 100 million user accounts.
• A breach at the TJX Companies, which runs stores such as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, exposed 45.7 million credit and debit cards to possible fraud in 2005 and 2006. For months, one or more intruders had free rein inside TJX's computers to install code to methodically unearth, collect and transmit account data.
about the writer
UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest insurer, is owned by parent company UnitedHealth Group. UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot Wednesday.