Latest news with #HaveIBeenPwned
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Amid password breach, how can you check if your data is leaked? Learn here
In one of the largest data breaches in recent history, a staggering 16 billion passwords have been leaked online, raising urgent concerns about digital security across the globe. The leak, believed to be a compilation of credentials from multiple past and ongoing breaches, is being dubbed the 'mother of all breaches' by cybersecurity experts . If you're worried your information might be part of the leak, you can check by entering your email ID at HaveIBeenPwned. This trusted site will show whether your credentials have been compromised in any known data breaches. What to do if your data is exposed? If your data has been exposed, change your passwords immediately. Make sure your new passwords are strong, unique, and not similar to ones you've used before. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cardiologists: 1 spoonful on an empty stomach slims the waist from XL to P (do it today)! Women's health Learn More Undo Also, avoid using the same password across multiple platforms. Using different passwords for different accounts adds an extra layer of security and can help limit the damage in case of future breaches.
Economic Times
a day ago
- Economic Times
Amid password breach, how can you check if your data is leaked? Learn here
What to do if your data is exposed? In one of the largest data breaches in recent history, a staggering 16 billion passwords have been leaked online, raising urgent concerns about digital security across the globe. The leak, believed to be a compilation of credentials from multiple past and ongoing breaches, is being dubbed the 'mother of all breaches' by cybersecurity experts If you're worried your information might be part of the leak, you can check by entering your email ID at HaveIBeenPwned. This trusted site will show whether your credentials have been compromised in any known data your data has been exposed, change your passwords immediately. Make sure your new passwords are strong, unique, and not similar to ones you've used avoid using the same password across multiple platforms. Using different passwords for different accounts adds an extra layer of security and can help limit the damage in case of future breaches.
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business Insider
A massive trove of 16 billion stolen passwords was discovered — here's what to do
Researchers say they've uncovered one of the largest data leaks in history that involves many popular platforms. The leak includes nearly 16 billion login credentials that could give cybercriminals access to social media and business platforms such as Apple, Gmail, Telegram, Facebook, GitHub, and more, researchers at Cybernews said this week. Bad actors now have "unprecedented access to personal credentials that can be used for account takeover, identity theft, and highly targeted phishing," the researchers said. The number of exposed people or accounts is unknown. The researchers said the data likely comes from malicious software known as infostealers. "What's especially concerning is the structure and recency of these datasets — these aren't just old breaches being recycled. This is fresh, weaponizable intelligence at scale," the researchers said. Cybernews said researchers uncovered the leak when the datasets were exposed for a short period of time. It follows the May discovery of a database containing more than 184 million credentials, including Apple, Facebook, and Google logins, Wired earlier reported. If you're nervous that your logins are at risk, there are steps you can take to make your account safer. How to protect yourself You can't unring the bell of an information leak. However, you can take steps to identify if your credentials have been involved in any data breaches and protect yourself in the future. You can check sites like Have I Been Pwned to see if your email has appeared in a data breach. Turning on two-step authentication for your accounts can also help protect them from unauthorized access. Platforms also offer resources to help users secure their accounts. Google encourages users to use protections that don't require a password, like a passkey. It's one of the tech giants, along with Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft, that have been working to move users away from passwords to help secure their accounts. For those who prefer to stick with passwords, Google's password manager can store login credentials and notify users if they appear in a breach, a spokesperson told Business Insider. There's also Google's dark web report, a free tool that tracks whether personal information is floating around in online databases. GitHub, an online coding platform, offers developers a guide on how to implement safety measures in their organizations. The site recommends creating a security policy, having strict password guidelines, and requiring two-factor authorization. The data leak included logs — "often with tokens, cookies, and metadata," which makes it "particularly dangerous for organizations lacking multi-factor authentication or credential hygiene practices," the Cybernews team said. Meta offers a Privacy Checkup tool for users to review their privacy and security account settings. There, you can turn on two-factor authentication and ensure Meta alerts you of unusual logins. Meanwhile, Telegram said its primary login method sends a one-time password to users over SMS. "As a result, this is far less relevant for Telegram users compared to other platforms where the password is always the same," a Telegram spokesperson told BI about the data leak. Apple, GitHub, and Meta did immediately respond to a request for comment on the data leak. Google said it was directing users to some of the security resources above.
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
Google Passwords Leaked: How to Check If Your Account Has Been Compromised
A team of cybersecurity experts has uncovered what appears to be the largest data breach in history, with billions of passwords and personal details reportedly leaked. The massive breach affects users of Google, Apple, Facebook, Telegram and GitHub, sparking global concerns about data security. If you're worried about your information being exposed, here's how to check if your Google account has been compromised, along with key tips to help protect your data from future threats. How to Check If Your Google Account Has Been Compromised According to Econotimes , Google has not officially confirmed whether its systems were directly affected by the breach. However, logs from infostealer malware indicate that login credentials linked to Google accounts have been compromised. To check if your account has been exposed, you can use the trusted online tool 'Have I Been Pwned' (HIBP). This website allows users to verify whether their email address or phone number has appeared in known data breaches by scanning a vast database of leaked credentials. HIBP has been active for over a decade and is widely trusted by cybersecurity experts, government agencies and businesses. It has supported cyber response efforts in the UK, Australia and other countries during major attacks on government domains. To use HIBP: Search for 'Have I Been Pwned' on Google or visit the official website. Enter your email address into the search bar. Click the 'pwned?' button to check your breach status. If the result says '0 data breaches', your account is likely safe. If a list of breaches appears, you should immediately change your Google password and secure any linked accounts. Tips to Protect Your Google Account Even if your account hasn't been compromised, taking proactive steps can reduce the risk of future exposure. Cybersecurity experts recommend the following: Use a trusted password manager to generate strong, unique passwords. to generate strong, unique passwords. Enable Google's two-factor authentication (2FA) for an extra layer of security. for an extra layer of security. Review and remove unknown devices linked to your Google account. linked to your Google account. Clear search history and cookies regularly. regularly. Monitor account activity using Google's 'Recent Security Events' feature. feature. Run a malware scan to check for infostealer software on your devices. In addition, regularly audit third-party app access and avoid reusing passwords across accounts. These simple steps can significantly lower the risk of falling victim to future data leaks. What We Know About the Massive Password Leak Cybernews researchers Aras Nazarovas and Bob Diachenko were the first to uncover the breach, which they began investigating earlier this year. Initial estimates indicated between 10 million and 3.5 billion compromised credentials. That figure has now grown to a staggering 16 billion records, covering accounts from social media, cloud platforms and developer portals. 'With over 16 billion login records exposed, cybercriminals now have unprecedented access to personal credentials that can be used for account takeover, identity theft and highly targeted phishing,' the researchers warned. They added: 'What's especially concerning is the structure and recency of these datasets — these aren't just old breaches being recycled. This is fresh, weaponisable intelligence at scale.' Originally published on IBTimes UK
India Today
2 days ago
- India Today
16 billion passwords leaked: Here is how to check if your account was hacked
In what has been referred to as one of the most severe security breaches in internet history, over 16 billion passwords have been found leaked online. This leak reportedly includes login information ranging from personal email and social media accounts to developer tools like GitHub, and in some cases, even government importantly, the leaked data in this breach does not include recycled old data. According to reports by Cybernews and Forbes, most of the credentials are newly harvested and highly usable by hackers. This thus puts millions of users at risk of cybercrime, including identity theft, phishing attacks, and account leaked data is believed to have been gathered using infostealer malware — malicious software that quietly infects a user's device, extracts login details from browsers or apps, and sends them to cybercriminals. These stolen credentials are then either used directly or sold in bulk on dark web forums, where access is cheap and often doesn't require technical expertise. What makes this breach more concerning is the format in which the data has been leaked. Each leaked entry reportedly includes a website URL, followed by a username and password. This makes the data easier for hackers to exploit. Experts warn that this security breach could lead to a rise in identity theft, phishing scams, and account takeovers across various online the news is certainly alarming, you can check if your account has been exposed in this breach or any previous to check if your account has been exposedadvertisementOne way to check is through a website called Have I Been Pwned. It is a free platform maintained by cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt. The site collects data from hundreds of breaches and allows users to search by email address or password to see if they've been check your credentials-– Visit the site and enter your email address in the search bar.– Click on "pwned?" to see if your email appears in any known breaches.– Use the "Passwords" tab to check if any of your commonly used passwords have been if your data has been compromised?If you find that your email ID or passwords are part of a breach, here are some immediate steps you need to take:Change your password for the affected service right you have reused the same password elsewhere, change it on those platforms can also use a password manager like Google password manager to generate strong and unique passwords. Also enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to add an extra layer of protection to your can even use passkeys, which are more secure than traditional passwords as they use biometric authentication.
