“This is the biggest data breach ever seen online” … Almost 3.2 billion emails and passwords hacked

It is possibly “the largest compilation of hacked user credentials ever published online.” The specialized site BGR announced last week that a cybercriminal uploaded a “collection of user data” to a forum
of hackers.

Nicknamed Peine for “Compilation of Many Breaches”, this file revealed access to 3.28 billion combinations of hacked email and account passwords. during recent cyber attacks against the web giants, says the specialized site
Cybernews.

What really happened?

A gigantic database of more than 3 billion username and password associations appeared on Tuesday, February 2, on an Internet forum used by hackers. The author of this database claims to have grouped various data stolen during the attacks from LinkedIn, Netflix… “So this is not the result of a new hack, but rather a merger of existing data that had already been stolen in the context of previous leaks,” say cybersecurity experts.

In this file called Comb, the information has been carefully classified in alphabetical order and by service used. The stolen data includes the credentials of 117 million LinkedIn accounts that were leaked in 2021 and access to Netflix site. But also information about Gmail, Hotmail and many more accounts … If your information has been collected, hackers can access your email and password combinations and use them to hack into your other accounts.

How do you know if your data has been disclosed?

The CyberNews site has been created seeker A that lists the identifiers that have been leaked. You just have to enter your email address to find out if your data has been hacked. If your email is affected, it is recommended that you quickly change your password. The CNIL (National Commission for Informatics and Freedoms) recommends choosing
passwords of at least 12 characters composed of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

It is also recommended to configure two-factor access for email accounts to ensure their security. “The second authentication limits the use access code extorted. In general, it is based on a combination of your fingerprints, face, voice, etc., what you know (password, PIN code, etc.) and / or what you have (chip card, token, smartphone, etc. ). You may have already set it up on your smartphone with PIN code-based authentication and biometric recognition, ”explains Blandine Delaporte, cyber evangelist at Check Point Software Technologies.