It has come to light that at least 180 million Gmail passwords have been exposed in a recent data breach. In the wake of this breach, Gmail users are encouraged to verify their accounts.
Australian cybersecurity specialist Troy Hunt, who disclosed the incident, referred to it as a ‘vast collection’ of compromised data, amounting to 3.5 terabytes. He clarified that this is comparable to 875 full-length HD films.As Mr. Hunt notes, ‘every major provider has email addresses in that dataset’ – including not just Gmail but also Outlook, Yahoo, and various others.’Emails from every imaginable source are included, but Gmail consistently appears prominently,’ Hunt informed the Daily Mail.
The breach took place in April, but it was only recently made public on Mr. Hunt’s Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) website. According to the expert, the compromised data encompasses 183 million unique email addresses along with the sites they were registered on and the passwords employed.
Mr. Hunt specified that this incident is not just one breach but rather a collection of ‘stealer logs’ – a compilation of data files created and assembled by ‘malware’ (malicious software).’Vehicles of theft are an ongoing stream of data that continuously disseminate personal information,’ Mr. Hunt elaborated in his blog post.’
Once the malicious actors obtain your information, it frequently duplicates repeatedly across numerous channels and platforms.’Mr. Hunt urged individuals to check if their data has been compromised by visiting the Have I Been Pwned website and inputting their email address in the search bar.Then, click the button labeled ‘Check’, and the site will display the list of data breaches related to your email address.