Mega breach of 16B passwords raises crypto security fears

A massive data breach has exposed approximately 16 billion login credentials, including passwords, from major online service providers such as Apple, Google, Facebook, GitHub, Telegram, and various government services.

This unprecedented leak was discovered by Cybernews researchers who analyzed 30 separate datasets, each containing tens of millions to billions of records, most of which were previously unreported.

The breach is believed to be the result of multiple infostealer malware campaigns that collected fresh, weaponizable intelligence at scale. The leaked data includes not only passwords but also tokens, cookies etc, making it particularly dangerous for accounts without multifactor authentication (2FA). The original owner of the data remains unclear, but it is virtually certain that some of these datasets were held by cybercriminals.

This breach raises significant security concerns for the cryptocurrency industry. Attackers could use the leaked credentials to perform targeted account takeovers, especially on custodial wallets or platforms linked to email access. Some crypto wallets that store password-based seed-phrase backups in cloud services are also at risk, potentially allowing attackers to obtain private keys and steal assets. As a result, exchanges might require users to change passwords or implement stricter security measures to prevent losses.

The incident highlights ongoing issues such as password reuse, weak authentication practices, and unsecured storage of recovery phrases. Experts strongly advise users, especially crypto holders, to immediately update their passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and avoid storing sensitive recovery information in insecure digital environments.

It's me, @justmythoughts, an ordinary Hive user looking to make the most of the platform. I will appreciate your support. Follow me for more. Thanks, Gracias :)