After 16 billion passwords were leaked.. tips to make it more complex

Hacking and Cyber ​​Vandalism                                                              

After 16 billion passwords were leaked, tips for making them more complex

After CyberNews revealed what it described as one of the largest data breaches in history, experts are urging all users around the world to change their passwords as quickly as possible and make them more complex, according to The Guardian.

The cyber site reported a record breach of user login data that exposed approximately 16 billion passwords, allowing access to Facebook, Google, Apple, and other websites and apps.

The CyberNews team of researchers, which has been closely monitoring the web since the beginning of the year, discovered 30 exposed datasets filled with credentials collected from malware known as "information stealers" and their leaks. In total, the researchers uncovered an incredible 16 billion records.

"More Complex Passwords"

The researchers' discovery is reminiscent of the recommendations often repeated by cybersecurity experts for users: to frequently change passwords, adopt more complex passwords, and implement two-factor authentication to ensure that someone cannot access a user's account once they have the password, and to notify the user of the login attempt.

Bob Diachenko, the Ukrainian cybersecurity expert who conducted the research, stated that the datasets were temporarily available after being poorly stored on remote servers, before being deleted again. Diachenko added that he was able to download the files and will seek to contact the individuals and companies that were compromised.

"Of course, it will take some time, given the sheer volume of data," he said, emphasizing that password protection is crucial and should be changed if you have dealt with a compromised company.

"A Mass Exploitation Scheme"

The researchers see the data leak as a "mass exploitation scheme." They warn that "cybercriminals have unprecedented access to personal data that can be used for account takeover, identity theft, and highly targeted phishing attacks." What's particularly concerning is the structure and novelty of these datasets. "They're not recycled old hacks, but rather new, weaponized intelligence."

The researchers point out that the only positive aspect is that all the datasets were exposed for only a brief period. This period allowed researchers to discover them, but it wasn't long enough to determine who controlled the massive amounts of data.