A new investigation reveals that billions of login credentials have been leaked and compiled into online datasets, giving cybercriminals unprecedented access to user accounts. According to cybersecurity researchers, the scope of the breach is staggering.
The report from Cybernews uncovered that roughly 16 billion credentials have been compromised, including passwords for major platforms like Google, Facebook, and Apple. These leaked credentials were not from a single breach but result from multiple incidents over time. Cybernews’s researchers found that the stolen data was collected and briefly exposed publicly, allowing anyone to access it.
Cybercriminals likely used various types of malicious software known as infostealers, which breach devices to steal sensitive information, the report notes.
Many questions remain about the current whereabouts of these credentials—who holds them now and how they might be used. The total of 16 billion credentials is more than twice the current global population, indicating that many individuals probably had multiple accounts compromised. Cybernews also pointed out that the dataset likely contains duplicates, making it impossible to determine exactly how many unique individuals or accounts are affected.
As more details emerge, cybersecurity experts emphasize the importance of maintaining good online “cyber hygiene.” Users are advised to change passwords regularly, avoid reusing the same credentials across different sites, and consider using password managers or passkeys to manage multiple passwords securely.
Enabling multi-factor authentication, whether through a phone app, email, or hardware key, adds an essential layer of protection against unauthorized access.
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