- The latest violation of 16 billion may not be as bad as it sounds
- The data sets probably contain previously leaked information
- Nevertheless, the affected could still be in danger so be on your guard
Following the recent reports of over 16 billion items that are leaked in an ‘unimaginable’ major data violation, further research has claimed that the reality of the incident may not be as catastrophic as the first thought.
After significant speculation about the violation and origin of the violation, new findings from bleeping computer suggest that this “violation” may not be new or even a break – but instead just a collection of existing leaked credentials.
The initial data sets discovered by the researchers included hordes of personal information, with each of the 30 data sets containing between tens of thousands of millions, to over 3.5 billion data points – a total of 16 billion items. It now seems that this was a series of data sets that only contained violated credentials assembled by a cyber security company (or by criminals) which were then postponed online.
The blame of infosteals
“Despite Brummer, there is no evidence that this collection contains new or previously unprecedented data,” Bleeping computer confirms.
The information from these data sets has probably circulated for a while and the layout of the violated information suggests that they were collected using infostealers – a type of malware that has become one of the most productive threats to security teams and internet users.
The information found in these datasets is formatted in such a way that the finger points to the Infostealers, with credentials that appear in one per. Line format (URL: Username: Password) that is assembled in a ‘log’.
An attack from an infoTeals can exfiltrate all the credentials stored in a browser and the logs are then uploaded and usually sold on the dark web.
Criminals will often upload samples of their stolen data as a ‘contempt’ to prove that the information is legitimate.
Since these violations can sometimes contain billions of items, these samples often have tens of thousands of credentials – and this data violation is probably a collection of these tasters.
What to do next
New or not, leaked credentials pose a huge threat to those affected. If your information is leaked, be sure to look at some protection software for identity theft as criminals can use your name, address and details to take credit cards or loans in your name.
Do i have? is probably the best resource only to check if your details have been affected, offering a wear and tear of any major cyber event in the last few years.
As a company, activating multifactor approval (MFA) is and ensuring that all staff are thoroughly trained in the dangers and signs of social engineering attacks. Using Business Access Code Managers can also help ensure that all user passwords are secure.
And if you save passwords to a Google account, you can use Google’s password tool to see if anyone has been compromised, or sign up for one of the best password administrator settings we’ve rounded off to make sure your login is protected.
“If this news scares you, your security program probably has some basic gaps,” argues James Shank, director of threat operations at Rule.
“Let this be the fuel you need to place yourself and your department to solve the problem systematically, rather than defending against the news that will be another violation, with even more passwords and emergency management will continue if you do not have systematic defense in place.”
