The 6 biggest cybersecurity breaches of 2026 so far

Source Domain: mashable.com

The year is only halfway through, yet 2026 has already been filled with data breaches, hacks, and cybersecurity incidents.

So let’s take a look back at the biggest cybersecurity breaches of 2026 so far. Mashable has picked the six most impactful incidents. There’s likely lessons to be learned in order to protect yourself for the rest of the year.

Here they are, in no particular order.

Grand Theft Auto VI fans and Rockstar Games

GTA 6, the most anticipated video game for the past decade, will finally be released this year. And malicious actors are already targeting its fans and even the game’s developer.

Fake GTA 6 pre-order websites, fake GTA 6 mobile apps, and even fake sites that copy legitimate game download platforms have been popping up since developer Rockstar Games confirmed a late 2026 launch for the game.

It’s unclear just how many users have already been affected, but it’s obviously growing, as hackers will continue to target Grand Theft Auto gamers up until the game’s release and likely well beyond.

Not even Rockstar Games is safe. Earlier this year, the now-infamous hacker collective ShinyHunters announced that it had breached the game developer’s networks. ShinyHackers sought out a ransom in exchange for not releasing the data it had stolen.

Rockstar downplayed the severity of the data breach, saying the breach occurred at a third-party provider. It also appeared that the data comprised corporate assets rather than private user information.

Instructure data breach

Edtech giant Instructure, the company behind the popular Learning Management System (LMS) Canvas, was a victim of what was easily one of the biggest breaches of the year so far.

The Instructure breach was also carried out by ShinyHunters, the hacking collective that is becoming quite notorious as the likely culprit behind so many data breaches. The stolen data in this breach included users’ names, email addresses, student IDs, and…

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