According to researchers at cybersecurity publication Cybernews, billions of login credentials have been stolen and aggregated into online datasets,
providing criminals with “unprecedented access” to accounts that people use on a daily basis.
Cybernews researchers have recently uncovered 30 exposed datasets that each contain a significant amount of login information,
totaling 16 billion compromised credentials, according to a report released this week.
This includes user passwords for a variety of well-known websites, such as Apple, Facebook, and Google.
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Given that 16 billion is almost twice as many people as there are on Earth today, it is possible that the credentials for multiple compromised accounts were compromised.
Furthermore, According to Cybernews, “it’s impossible to tell how many people or accounts were actually exposed” because the data undoubtedly contains duplicates.
It’s also crucial to remember that the compromised login credentials are not from a single source, like a single company-targeted breach.
Rather, it seems that the information was obtained through a series of events over time,
then compiled and briefly made public, which is how Cybernews’s researchers found it.
What To Do If Your Log In Credentials Are Part of the Billions Leaked!
According to Cybernews, the culprit is probably a variety of infostealers.
A type of malicious software known as “infostealers” compromises a victim’s device or systems in order to steal confidential data.
There are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding these compromised credentials,
such as whose hands the login information is currently in.
In the modern world, however, experts continue to emphasize the significance of upholding essential “cyber hygiene” as data breaches become more frequent.
The first thing you should do if you’re concerned that your account information might have been compromised in a recent hack is to change your password.
You should also refrain from using the same or similar login information on several websites.
Think about using a passkey or password manager if you have trouble remembering all of your passwords.
Additionally, include multifactor authentication, which can be used with a USB authenticator key, email, or phone as an additional layer of verification.