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The Largest Password Leak in History, 16 Billion Credentials Exposed
techstory.in ^ | June 19, 2025 | Anochie Esther

Posted on 06/19/2025 7:29:08 PM PDT by ransomnote

[H/T bitt]

In what experts are calling the largest data breach ever recorded, researchers have confirmed the exposure of a staggering 16 billion password leaks, affecting platforms including Apple, Facebook, Google, Telegram, GitHub, VPN services, and even government portals. This unprecedented breach is believed to be the result of multiple infostealer malware campaigns operating at a massive scale throughout 2025. 

If the recently reported 184 million credential leak was alarming, this latest development represents a full-scale cybersecurity disaster that demands immediate action.

What Happened? Understanding the 16 Billion Credential Leak

According to an ongoing investigation by cybersecurity researchers at Cybernews, led by analyst Vilius Petkauskas, the exposed data was discovered within 30 supermassive datasets, each containing anywhere from tens of millions to 3.5 billion individual records.

These aren’t recycled dumps from older breaches. Most of this information is newly compromised data, collected and consolidated into massive repositories that have now surfaced on cybercriminal forums and underground marketplaces. The datasets were structured in a way that included a URL, login, and password, making them easily weaponizable for account takeovers.

“This is not just a leak, it’s a blueprint for mass exploitation,” said the Cybernews team. “These aren’t just old breaches being recycled   this is fresh, weaponized intelligence at scale.”


(Excerpt) Read more at techstory.in ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: hacking; internet; passwords; socialmedia

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The article goes on to list suggested actions in useful detail. Here's a shorter version of the list with minor changes to wording:

1. Change your passwords and enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

2. Use a password manager to generate and store unique, complex passwords for each account.

3. If you use Passkeys, it's time to switch them.

4. Watch your accounts for suspicious activity. 


1 posted on 06/19/2025 7:29:08 PM PDT by ransomnote
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To: ransomnote

Our life was fine before this computer stuff.


2 posted on 06/19/2025 7:32:50 PM PDT by Fido969
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To: ransomnote

It sounds like a pre-text to force these things on the people.


3 posted on 06/19/2025 7:34:33 PM PDT by Jonty30 (He was so fat that it took a year for his memory foam mattress to forget him. )
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To: ransomnote

password123 is not strong enough password, believe you me.


4 posted on 06/19/2025 7:34:59 PM PDT by BipolarBob (I don't have any bad habits. I'm good at them all.)
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To: ransomnote

I’m safe. My password is “I-am-Not-Mark”.


5 posted on 06/19/2025 7:37:47 PM PDT by Mark (DONATE ONCE every 3 months-is that a big deal?)
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To: ransomnote

Thank goodness for 2-factor authentication. All my financial accounts have it.


6 posted on 06/19/2025 7:38:39 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of anger, hate and violence.)
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To: BipolarBob

iglatinpe is simply too complex to be hacked.


7 posted on 06/19/2025 7:50:48 PM PDT by PTBAA
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To: ransomnote

Big-knockers-69 with an exclamation at the end is impenetrable.


8 posted on 06/19/2025 7:57:36 PM PDT by NoLibZone (Trump failure: Not declaring Antifa a terrorist organization.)
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To: Fido969

Exactly. Wouldn’t you just love to strangle those idiots who came up with the goofy “password” idea? Even Allen Ludden thought it was a joke being played on clowns with computers.


9 posted on 06/19/2025 8:03:11 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Correction! America is a nation of LEGAL IMMIGRANTS! All of mine came here legally. No free stuff.)
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To: ransomnote

I am thinking of doing all banking and financial transactions on an old laptop I that I will convert to Linux Mint. As it is I never use my phone for that. Only my home computer Windows 11.


10 posted on 06/19/2025 8:06:41 PM PDT by dennisw (💯🇺🇸 Truth is Hate to those who Hate the Truth. 🇺🇸💯)
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To: null and void; aragorn; EnigmaticAnomaly; kalee; Kale; AZ .44 MAG; Baynative; bgill; bitt; ...

p


11 posted on 06/19/2025 8:06:44 PM PDT by bitt (<img src=' 'width=30%>)
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To: BipolarBob

Eliminate password123, and it’s only 9 billion breaches.


12 posted on 06/19/2025 8:31:46 PM PDT by gundog (The ends justify the mean tweets. )
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To: ransomnote
When are services going to learn not to store passwords in plain text? Or is that not how these passwords were obtained?

16 billion is 2 accounts compromised for every man, woman and child on the planet. This is getting insane.

13 posted on 06/19/2025 8:59:58 PM PDT by EnderWiggin1970
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To: EnderWiggin1970
When are services going to learn not to store passwords in plain text?

Plain text is easy, but even SHA256 hashes can be beaten using rainbow tables on large cloud servers. Old UNIX password files were easily taken apart with "crack". Browsers are not necessarily your friend. Those that store the account URL, username, password are ripe for harvesting.

14 posted on 06/19/2025 9:13:23 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: Jonty30

I was thinking they set their nets and drive everyone into them by telling them they are compromised and must change them?


15 posted on 06/19/2025 9:50:48 PM PDT by ransomnote (IN GOD WE TRUST)
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To: Fido969

Crime has never been easier or more profitable.

Once upon a time, you had to be in close proximity. Now a hacker in Shanghai can rob you blind without ever leaving his home.


16 posted on 06/19/2025 10:03:35 PM PDT by Freedom_Is_Not_Free (America -- July 4, 1776 to November 3, 2020 -- R.I.P.)
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To: BipolarBob

Yep, I spell it passw0rd to fool ‘em.


17 posted on 06/19/2025 10:18:35 PM PDT by citizen (A transgender male competing against women may be male, but he's no man.)
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To: ransomnote

Its simple really.

DO NOT LINK banking information with any social platform
like Facebook Pay.

Ever.

All banking should be by double authentication.Including Pay Pal.

Delete your credit card information from on line order sites like Amazon and eBay.

This is war level data collection.


18 posted on 06/20/2025 1:56:27 AM PDT by Candor7 (Ask not for whom the Trump Trolls,He trolls for thee!<img src="" width=500</img><a href="">tag</a>) )
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To: ransomnote

Most of my passwords are 16 characters. It takes me a week to log into the streaming “apps” a new TV using the remote since I don’t talk to me my smart TVs and won’t scan anything.

A password manager might be ok but then that’ll get hacked.


19 posted on 06/20/2025 3:15:44 AM PDT by maddog55 (The only thing systemic in America is the left's hatred of it!)
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