Millions of Gmail passwords stolen in massive data breach – Tech News – Tech
An urgent warning has been issued to Americans following a massive breach that resulted in the theft of millions of passwords.
The colossal email leak, which leaked the data of 183 million Gmail users, “came from everywhere imaginable”, according to an expert.
The breach exposed several categories of Google data, including email addresses, passwords and the websites on which they were entered. This comes just months after Google issued an alarming warning to anyone with a Gmail account about a twisted new AI scam.
In total, approximately 3.5 terabytes of data were exposed. A cybersecurity expert has warned that users will need to take several steps to ensure their remaining data is well protected.
Details of the data breach, perpetrated by “infostealer activity” and initially confirmed in April this year, were published in the Have I Been Pwned database.
According to the database entry, the stolen data consisted primarily of “thieves’ logs and credential stuffing lists.” Cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt told the Daily Mail that the stolen information affected “all email providers,” but noted that Gmail “has a lot of features,” the Mirror reports.
He said: “All the major suppliers have email addresses. They come from everywhere you can imagine, but Gmail is still very much present. »
A Google spokesperson informed Forbes that the risk of being affected by the data breach could be mitigated by making some adjustments using tools already provided by the company.
The spokesperson told the publication: “This report covers broad information theft activity that targets many types of web activity. When it comes to email, users can protect themselves by enabling two-step verification and adopting passwords as a simpler, stronger alternative to passwords. »
They added that Gmail users have another tool they can use if they suspect their account has been compromised.
Users can check the “account activity” page to see if anyone has illegally accessed their personal account. If users are unable to log in, they should attempt to recover the account via the “Account Recovery Page”.
The spokesperson explained that there is a specific process for resetting passwords that have been involved in significant credential losses, saying: “Additionally, to help users, we have a process for resetting passwords when we experience significant credential losses like this.”
For those affected, their password may have been exposed in the latest dump, or simply if it is weak, Google’s password check feature can be used.
This feature can be found in Chrome by selecting Passwords & Autofill from the top right menu and then navigating to the Google Password Manager – Check-up page.
This comes after Gmail users were urged to make significant security changes amid a rise in cybercrime.
