184M Google, Microsoft, Apple and Instagram accounts leaked in data breach

Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler recently discovered a publicly accessible database containing 184,162,718 (47.42 GB of raw credential data) unique email addresses, usernames, and passwords.

This data included login credentials from various platforms and services like Microsoft, Apple, PayPal, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Roblox, and more.

Some of the credentials found were associated with bank and financial accounts, healthcare platforms, and even government portals of several countries, which is concerning.

According to Fowler, the data appears to have been collected by infostealer malware, a malicious software designed to steal login credentials from infected devices.

To verify the data breach’s authenticity, he contacted the individuals listed in the database and informed them he was investigating a data leak that could include their credentials. Several confirmed that the exposed details matched their real information.

When Fowler notified the hosting provider, public access to the database was quickly restricted. However, the provider denied revealing the identity of the person or group involved. The database is no longer accessible. However, its origin and purpose of creation are still unknown.

This incident is another reminder that strong passwords, two-factor authentication (2FA), regular password updates, and antivirus software or antimalware tools cannot protect you if your information is compromised in a data breach.

With this massive database at risk of a data breach, we suggest you check your credentials using reputable breach-checking services and change the passwords immediately if found in that database.

You must also use a reliable password manager to generate and save strong and unique passwords for all your accounts.