Researchers have found the largest data leak in history, compromising millions of users’ information. A team of researchers has been investigating the leak, which has found 30 exposed data sets containing over 3.5 billion records each. In total, the number of compromised records has now hit a staggering 16 billion, as reported by Forbes.The outlet quoted Vilius Petkauskas, a journalist at Cybernews who described this data breach as “ supermassive datasets, housing billions upon billions of login credentials. From social media and corporate platforms to VPNs and developer portals, no stone was left unturned”.Most of the affected accounts come from popular platforms, including Apple, Google, Facebook, Telegram, GitHub, various VPN services, and even some government websites.The datasets found were encrypted in the format of a URL, followed by login details and a password.The researchers call this leak “a blueprint for mass exploitation”, adding that these aren’t just old breaches being recycled, but fresh, weaponizable intelligence at scale.The leak is believed to be the work of multiple info stealers, which gather data through malware and phishing campaigns before dumping them into these colossal collections.Unlike old breaches that are sometimes recycled on dark web forums, these newly leaked datasets are fresh. They are the perfect tools for phishing attacks, credential stuffing, and full-blown account takeovers.Google has been advising its users to upgrade their Gmail accounts’ security by moving on from older sign-in methods like passwords and two-factor authentication (2FA). Tech experts suggest switching to passkeys to enhance data security, as it eliminates the need for passwords entirely.
