A cybersecurity researcher has issued an urgent warning to Gmail users after discovering a massive database containing 149 million login credentials, with 48 million believed to be from Gmail accounts. The expert, Jeremiah Fowler, said the exposed data included emails, usernames, passwords, and login URLs, making millions of accounts vulnerable to cyber criminals.
According to Fowler's report, the database was openly accessible on the internet, meaning anyone could view the stolen information. He noted that the credentials were collected from victims worldwide and spanned a wide range of online services, including Facebook, Instagram, Netflix, Yahoo Mail, Outlook, iCloud, and TikTok.
Fowler revealed that Facebook had the second highest number of stolen credentials at 17 million, followed by Instagram with 6.5 million and Yahoo Mail with four million. He advised users to update their devices, watch for suspicious activity, and install cybersecurity software to protect against potential malware infections.
A Google spokesperson told the Daily Mail that the data was not from a new breach but rather a compilation of 'infostealer' logs harvested over time by third-party malware. They stated: 'We continuously monitor for this type of external activity and have automated protections in place that lock accounts and force password resets when we identify exposed credentials.'
Fowler said he was unable to identify the owner of the dataset but managed to have it removed from the internet. He noted that the number of records increased between his discovery and the database being restricted.
