Hackers Have 10 Billion Stolen Passwords

Data leaks have become a commonplace threat in the digital age, making it nearly impossible to maintain online accounts without some passwords being compromised. Recent research, reported by TechRadar, reveals a text file named rockyou2024.txt containing nearly 10 billion unique passwords, all stored in plain text. This collection has been amassed over the past 20 years from various attacks and leaks, with 1.5 billion added between 2021 and 2024 alone.

The danger of such a massive database of passwords lies in its potential for brute force and credential stuffing attacks. These attacks involve hackers using computers to quickly try multiple passwords to gain unauthorized access to accounts. With a database of 10 billion unique passwords, cybercriminals have a vast resource to exploit.

To protect against these threats, individuals should use leaked password checkers to see if their credentials have been compromised and change any that have. It’s crucial to use strong, unique passwords for every account, and where possible, adopt passkeys that don’t have credentials to leak. Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security, requiring access to a trusted device even if the password is known. Using a password manager can help manage these credentials, generate strong passwords, and provide alerts for any password leaks.

Source: Lifehacker

To mitigate potential threats, it is important to implement additional cybersecurity measures with the help of a trusted partner like INFRA www.infrascan.net, or you can try yourself using check.website.