16 billion login credentials from Google and other sites leaked online, report says
CBSN
Sixteen billion login credentials have been leaked and compiled into datasets online, giving criminals "unprecedented access" to accounts consumers use each day, according to researchers at cybersecurity outlet Cybernews.
According to a report published this week, Cybernews researchers have recently discovered 30 exposed datasets that each contain a vast amount of login information — amounting to a total of 16 billion compromised credentials. That includes user passwords for a range of popular platforms including Google, Facebook and Apple.
Because 16 billion is roughly double the amount of people on Earth today, the number signals that impacted consumers may have had credentials for more than one account leaked. Cybernews notes that there are most certainly duplicates in the data and so "it's impossible to tell how many people or accounts were actually exposed."
