16 billion usernames and passwords leaked in a data breach, Google, Facebok and Apple accounts compromised

Data breach

A massive data breach has come to light and it’s being called one of the biggest in history. Security researchers have uncovered a staggering 16 billion login records, including Apple account credentials, in what appears to be a widespread leak of stolen personal data, according to a report by Cybernews.

This discovery goes far beyond a previous incident last month, where a database with 184 million Apple logins was found sitting unprotected online. At the time, it seemed serious enough, but now it turns out that was just the beginning.

According to a report by Cybernews, researchers found 30 different exposed datasets in total. Each one contains tens of millions — and in some cases, billions of records. These datasets weren’t just random scraps of old data. Researchers say the information is recent, well-organized, and likely stolen using infostealer malware, which is designed to quietly grab usernames and passwords from infected devices.

Each record follows a simple pattern: website URL, username, and password making it extremely easy for cybercriminals to use the data for account takeovers, identity theft, and phishing attacks.

What makes this breach especially worrying is how fresh the data appears to be. According to researchers, this isn’t just recycled info from older leaks. This is new, highly usable stolen data that could be misused at scale.

If you use the same passwords across multiple accounts — or haven’t updated them in a while — now would be a very good time to change your login details and enable two-factor authentication wherever possible.