The 16-billion-record data breach that no one’s ever heard of

Several collections of login credentials reveal one of the largest data breaches in history, totaling a humongous 16 billion exposed login credentials. The data most likely originates from various infostealers.

Information in the leaked datasets opens the doors to pretty much any online service imaginable, from Apple, Facebook, and Google, to GitHub, Telegram, and various government services. It’s hard to miss something when 16 billion records are on the table.

According to the researchers, credential leaks at this scale are fuel for phishing campaigns, account takeovers, ransomware intrusions, and business email compromise (BEC) attacks.

Actions

Have very strong passwords. Keep them different between applications.

Use 2FA or unique tokens

Don't click on links in emails

Don't trust phone calls from anyone you do not know personally

Use anti-virus software and keep apps up to date

The rise of AI is making the hackers much more dangerous and clever. Verify everything before acting on any financial activity.

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