Earlier this morning, unknown cyber criminals have leaked over 5 million Gmail usernames and passwords on the Internet. The database containing the credentials appeared on a Russian Bitcoin forum. All the passwords are presented in a .txt file. How the information has been collected is not clear so far, but the most reasonable explanations involve data phishing and exfiltration, as well as malware campaigns for data theft.
Almost 5 Million Gmail Usernames and Passwords Dumped on the Web
The user who has provided the account details online is using the alias “tvskit” and claims that over 60% of the entries are valid. The database, containing a total of 4, 929, 090 usernames and passwords is available on ileaked.com, where users can check if their account has been compromised. PC users, who are among the victims of this data-leak, should change their password immediately.
The collection of information also includes entries from Mail.ru and Yandex. A Russian publication on CNews reveals that there have been two other data leaks this week that have made 4.6 million Mail.ru and 1.26 Yandex accounts public.
What Measures Should the Users Take to Protect Their Accounts?
- Users are advised not to type any username or password on any website in order to prove if they are secure.
- To prevent future attacks and heighten security, users should enable a two-factor authentication of their accounts.
- Switching to alternative secure email providers is recommended.
