Billions of login credentials may have leaked. Here’s how you can protect your accounts

A report that Cybernews published the independent cybersecurity media published on Wednesday on Wednesday claimed 16 billion connection titles were exposed and compiled in online data sets, giving cybercriminals access to accounts on online platforms such as Google, Apple and Facebook.

CBC News could not independently verify the report, but cybersecurity experts say that the incident is another reminder for people to change their passwords regularly and not to use the same for several platforms.

“About three or four times a year, take the passwords that are particularly in the social platforms you use, the places you like to go, and simply change these passwords and keep them fresh,” said Enza Alexander, executive vice-president of Cybersecurity Isa in Toronto.

“Do not reuse what you have used before. Use [passwords] Who have characters and numbers and who are very unique. “”

Alexander has admitted that it can make them more difficult to remember, but cycling of passwords on the different platforms you use makes it more difficult for cybercriminals to access your accounts and find indicators of your identity.

Cybernews said that double recordings are likely to be present in data sets, which means that it is “impossible” to determine the exact number of people whose identification information could have been exposed in the leak.

The disclosed recordings do not seem to come from a centralized breach which targeted a specific company but rather a compilation of data sets containing connection references which have been collected over time.

Cybernews said in his report that various infosteralists are probably behind. Infosteralists are a form of malicious software that invites the device or systems of a victim to take sensitive information.

A Google spokesperson said in a statement to CBC News that the problem does not come from a Google data violation.

Bob Diachenko, cybersecurity researcher and Cybernews contributor who was involved in the Leaked report, published on the X social media platform noting that there was no single flight source.

“What this number reflects is the size of various newspapers of infoslars exposed publicly since the beginning of this year,” said Diachenko in the post, adding that the leak means the large scale of “infosteral infections” today.

Many questions remain on this disclosed identification information, including the hands of connection information. But as data violations are becoming more and more common in today’s world, experts continue to highlight the importance of maintaining key “cyber-hygiene”.

How can you protect your identification information?

Alexander said that “it is difficult to understand what is correct and what is not” about the flight, but noted that it is important for people to change their passwords if they fear that they are affected.

She also recommended that people consult different safety offers that platforms can offer, such as connection to the use of a key key rather than a password.

Some online services, such as Google and Apple, allow users to connect to the use of a Passkey as an alternative to the use of a password. This allows users to connect to their accounts with a facial recognition analysis, their fingerprint or a spindle.

In its declaration, Google encouraged users to use authentication methods without password such as Passkeys, which, according to the company, are more secure. He also suggested using tools like Google Password Manager, which will store passwords and inform users if one of their passwords has been involved in a data violation so that they can take measures.

“It is really important that people see if they have been affected but not excessively in the situation,” said Alexander.