News spread early Fridaythat a record-breaking data breach exposed 16 billion passwords to the world,Watch V Online including user credentials for the likes of Facebook, Google, Apple, and tons of other places. Some commentators were quick to call it the largest password leak in history, and in terms of raw records exposed, that’s mostly, technically true. However, these records did notcome from a single breach — or even a new breach. Instead, they came from many smaller ones.
Data breaches are an unfortunate reality in the digital age, and some of the breaches can be quite large. However, not every release of stolen data is the direct result of a recent cybersecurity breach. As Mashable recently reported in our countdown of the top cybersecurity breaches of 2025, hackers will often compile information from multiple prior hacks and combine them into one massive file. This is becoming a trend in the darker corners of the internet. The end result is more of a “greatest hits” rather than a new, noteworthy hack.
Such is the case here. Per Bleeping Computer, the information contained in the 16 billion records was most likely compiled from a host of prior hacks, compiled, and then released as a single set of data. It was likely circulating for some time before being compiled, and likely came from a combination of breaches, hacks, phishing scams, and malware.
This is backed up by a tweetfrom vx-underground, an educational website that specializes in malware and cybersecurity. “Someone took a bunch of existing leaks, threw it all together, and slapped a NEW stick [sic] on it.”
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
However, the existence of all this data in one spot is still rather damaging, as cybercriminals now have access to all of this data in a single spot, potentially making it much easier to concoct more effective phishing scams or engage in identity theft.
The largest single-point data breach in history is still Yahoo’s 2016 breach, when hackers stole data about all three billion of the website’s users.
Mashable is live at VidCon 2025:Check out our VidCon coveragewith your favorite content creators now.
With so many records in one spot — even if some of them are legacy data that is no longer relevant — it’s still probably a good idea to take an audit of your online services to make sure you’re protected. A good place to start is Have I Been Pwned, a website dedicated to showing data breaches. Simply go there, enter your email address(es), and the site will show you which credentials have been exposed to the public.
We recommend changing those credentials immediately if you haven’t already, and using a strong password when you do so, as they are more difficult to crack. After that, you’ll want to enable multi-factor authenticationon every account you possibly can, as the added layer helps keep criminals from stealing your life if they obtain your password. That should be the bare minimum, but there are plenty of other steps you can taketo keep yourself safe online as well.
Have a story to share about a scam or security breach that impacted you? Tell us about it. Email [email protected]with the subject line "Safety Net" or use this form.Someone from Mashable will get in touch.
Topics Cybersecurity
Elon Musk told Donald Trump what to do about the Paris Climate Agreement
Taking Apart the Glitz and Glamour of Modern Websites
James Salter's Acceptance Speech by James Salter
Of Tongues, Teeth, and Mouths: R. D. Laing at Work
Best air purifier deal: Save $300 on the Dyson HEPA Big + Quiet air purifier
The Art of Weathered Lithuanian Garage Doors
Staff Picks: Barbara Pym, Eileen Myles, Bryan Doerries
Mapplethorpe’s “Polyester Man”—Own an Obscene Photo
Hands on with Lenovo's 'rollable' display laptop at CES 2025
Introducing “The Paris Review for Young Readers”
What to expect from VidCon 2025
Best headphones deal: Save $120 on Sony WH
On Prison Literature & Dostoyevsky’s Notes from a Dead House
French Frames: Golden, Gilt, Grandiose
Three Apps to Combine All Your Messaging Clients Into One
“I Just Paint”: The Personal, Sincere Art of Billy Childish
“Personality”: Meeting Enid Blyton
Visiting Persephone Books
E3 2017 Trailer Roundup: Upcoming PC Games
Inside the House Where Coltrane Composed “A Love Supreme”
Pixel 8 reported issues are piling up: 3 common issues we’re hearingDistant Hammers: Notes on Art and Apocalypse'All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt' review: Raven Jackson's featureSam Lipsyte on Mary Robison’s “Likely Lake”Monsters for Grownups: Learning About Our Reptilian OverlordsComedy wildlife photo finalists are every bit as silly as you'd hopeStephen King calls on Elon Musk to change 'X' back to TwitterThis recipe for air frying your Brussels sprouts is essentialStaff Picks: Our Favorite Reads of 2016Scarlett Johansson is going after an AI app that used her likeness without permissionApple's M3 Max MacBook Pro is as fast as expensive M2 Ultra Mac desktopsBeing Seymour Glass: Why I Borrowed a Name from SalingerMerritt Tierce on the Defunct Language of Nautical FlagsYou Think You’re SpecialLet’s Talk About Skin: An ExchangeDestruction & Sorrow: László Krasznahorkai on a Bus in ChinaWhat Ever Happened to Biosphere 2?'Sly' review: A Stallone documentary that plays like a 'Rocky' sequel`Remembering the Sag Harbor CinemaBoys World reveal their internet obsessions: Bada Lee, manifestation, Petra Collins, and more Stunning videos and photos show terrifying Midwest tornado outbreak Extremely happy dog doesn't need a human to play fetch Math question meant for 10 Captain America rice dumplings are here to save the Dragon Boat Festival 'Aquaman' star Jason Momoa admits jeans were a 'bad choice' Facebook confirms it's building an internet satellite 11 noteworthy Instagram posts from the past week A lot of Uber, Lyft rides get posted online without anyone noticing James Gunn removed as 'Guardians of the Galaxy' director following resurfaced tweets Sony's new phone camera sensor will let you take 48 90's TV stars queer people always wished were queer City responds perfectly to complaint about black child selling food Daisy Ridley reveals struggle with endometriosis This ceramic can pot pipe will give you stoner nostalgia Mark Hamill wandered around Comic 15 YouTube covers that display the vast talent of Christina Grimmie 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' reboot in the works, focused on diversity If you love to cook, you deserve a proper chef's knife Little girl's official adoption hearing gets a magical Disney twist Maisie Williams is getting the perfect 'Game of Thrones' tattoo
3.2342s , 8230.3125 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Watch V Online】,New Knowledge Information Network