Internet users have been urged to change their passwords by cybersecurity expers after approximately 16 billion login credentials were exposed online.
Cybersecurity experts are urging internet users to change their passwords following the exposure of approximately 16 billion login credentials online.
Researchers from Cybernews discovered 30 datasets, each containing tens of millions to billions of stolen usernames and passwords. These were mostly harvested by infostealer malware and compiled from past breaches.
The leaked data includes credentials for major platforms like Google, Facebook and Apple, although none of these companies were directly breached.
The experts have stated that the datasets were exposed “only briefly” but amounted to 16 billion login records and an unspecified number of overlapping records – making it hard to put a definitive number on how many accounts or people have had their data exposed.
Bob Diachenko, the Ukrainian cybersecurity expert who conducted the research, explained that the datasets had become available temporarily after being stored poorly on remote servers before being removed again.
The boffin revealed that he was able to download the files and plans to contact individuals and companies that had been exposed.
Researchers say that the development highlights the importance of internet users regularly updating their passwords and adopting stringent measures like multifactor authentication when it comes to protecting their tech.
Despite the significant data leak, a separate cybersecurity expert has assured the public that there is “no new threat” at play.
Peter Mackenzie, the director of incident response at the firm Sophos, said: “While you’d be right to be startled at the huge volume of data exposed in this leak it’s important to note that there is no new threat here: this data will have already likely been in circulation.”
Mackenzie did stress that the findings highlighted the scale of data that is accessible to cybercriminals.
He said: “What we are understanding is the depth of information to cybercriminals.
Internet users told to change passwords after 16 billion login records exposed
