Slide Show: The Year In Data Theft

Data breaches came into their own in 2011. While prior years had a single large data breach -- such as the theft of card data from Heartland Payment Systems or TJX -- this year saw a number of important, if not particularly massive, breaches.

From the attack on Sony that brought down the PlayStation Network for nearly a month, to theft of SecurID information from security firm RSA that put other companies at peril, the attackers broke new ground in 2011.

In total, more than 30 million records were lost or stolen to date, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

Here are the top 10 breaches this year, ordered by date:

(click image to view slideshow) Slide Show: The Year in Data Theft