Billions of login credentials have been leaked online, Cybernews researchers say

NEW YORK AP Researchers at cybersecurity outlet Cybernews say that billions of login credentials have been leaked and compiled into datasets online giving criminals unprecedented access to accounts consumers use each day According to a summary published this week Cybernews researchers have in recent months discovered exposed datasets that each contain a vast amount of login information amounting to a total of billion compromised credentials That includes user passwords for a range of popular platforms including Google Facebook and Apple Related Articles Safeway and Albertsons negotiations stall again union plans to expand Colorado walkouts Partially built hotel near DIA sells for nearly M Colorado tops country when it comes to this key cost for homebuyers Colorado leaders plan for the next wave of psychedelic movement Law firm in Belcaro sues Google to get one-star review removed Sixteen billion is roughly double the amount of people on Earth in the modern day signaling that impacted consumers may have had credentials for more than one account leaked Cybernews notes that there are bulk certainly duplicates in the content and so it s impossible to tell how countless people or accounts were genuinely exposed It s also pivotal to note that the leaked login information doesn t span from a single source such as one breach targeting a company Instead it appears that the figures was stolen through multiple events over time and then compiled and briefly exposed publicly which is when Cybernews reports that its researchers discovered it Various infostealers are majority of likely the culprit Cybernews noted Infostealers are a form of malicious platform that breaches a victim s device or systems to take sensitive information Plenty of questions remain about these leaked credentials including whose hands the login credentials are in now But as evidence breaches become more and more common in in the current era s world experts continue to stress the importance of maintaining key cyber hygiene If you re worried about your account details potentially being exposed in a modern breach the first thing you can do is change your password and avoid using the same or similar login credentials on multiple sites If you find it too hard to memorize all your different passwords consider a password manager or passkey And also add multifactor authentication which can serve as a second layer of verification through your phone email or USB authenticator key