Huge personal data leak uncovered as 26 billion records exposed

The breach was discovered by researchers from Security Discovery and CyberNews, cybersecurity organizations that found an unsecured database containing a massive trove of data amounting to 12 terabytes, Forbes reported.

Detected personal data leak, 26 billion user records were compromised, image 1 — 26 billion leaked data records have been found in an online database. Photo: Getty

The leaked information includes sensitive personal details that could potentially lead to an increase in cybercrime activities such as identity theft, sophisticated fraud schemes, targeted cyberattacks and unauthorized access to sensitive personal and business accounts.

Among the compromised records were 1.5 billion from Tencent's QQ, 504 million from Weibo, 360 million from MySpace, 281 million from Twitter, 251 million from LinkedIn, and 164 million from Zing. Notably, the leak also included records from various organizations across the US, Brazil, Germany, the Philippines, Türkiye, and Vietnam.

Detected personal data leak, 26 billion user records were compromised, image 2 — List of platforms that exposed users' personal data. Photo: CyberNews

Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET, stressed the seriousness of the situation, advising those affected to change their passwords, be wary of phishing emails and ensure all accounts are secured with two-factor authentication.

To check if your personal data has been breached, individuals can use tools like Cybernews' data breach checker or the popular Have I Been Pwned service. These tools allow users to enter their email address or phone number to see if their account information has been breached.

Hoang Hai (according to Forbes, Cybernews, BT)

Source