Following a major data breach, an astonishing 16 billion passwords to various social media accounts and government services have been leaked.
The leak exposed 16 billion login credentials and passwords for Apple, Google, Facebook and more, leading Google to instruct billions of users to change their passwords and the FBI to caution Americans against opening suspicious links in SMS messages.
Researchers at Cybernews, who have been probing the leak, discovered “30 exposed datasets containing from tens of millions to over 3.5 billion records each.”
The experts warned: “This is not just a leak – it’s a blueprint for mass exploitation.
“These aren’t just old breaches being recycled, this is fresh, weaponizable intelligence at scale.”
According to Cybernews, researchers have concluded that the leak is the work of several infostealers, but it’s impossible to determine how many individuals or accounts were exposed.
A data breach is defined as the unauthorized access, disclosure, or exposure of information, such as your password for certain websites.
This can involve exposure of personal data (like Social Security numbers or credit card details) or corporate data (like customer records or financial information).
What information has been exposed?
Nearly all major platforms have been affected by the breach. This includes Apple, Gmail, Facebook accounts and GitHub as well as instant messaging platforms like Telegram and both commercial and government platform portals.
How to check if your data has been exposed
The data appears to contain URLs, usernames and passwords. However, with the huge amount of data that’s been exposed, there’s no way to tell how many accounts are under threat.
You can check using websites such as Have I Been Pwned to see if your email is in the clear. If you are at risk, immediately change your password, delete unused accounts
What should you do if you’re impacted in a data breach?
The best way to keep your account secure is to enable two-factor authentication.
This will stops information thieves from easily accessing your online accounts, as a second form of authentication through an app, phone, or passcode will need to be approved by you.
If you’re notified that your personal information was exposed in a data breach, you should change your passwords, add a fraud alert to your credit reports and consider placing a security freeze on your credit reports.
The experts are urging individuals to invest in password management solutions, refrain from sharing their passwords and to remain vigilant in case their passwords are compromised.
