Security News > 2021 > June > Billions of passwords leaked online from past data breaches
A list of leaked passwords discovered on a hacker forum may be one of the largest such collections of all time.
A 100GB text file leaked by a user on a popular hacker forum contains 8.4 billion passwords, likely gathered from past data breaches, tech news site CyberNews said on Monday.
The 2021 version of RockYou contains so many passwords because it tapped into a host of leaked databases from the past, including the Compilation of Many Breaches, which revealed more than 3.2 billion unique pairs of emails and passwords in clear text.
"Our own investigation of this report has shown that quite a large number of accounts passwords are recycled from previous breaches and not necessarily active."
For now, users concerned about leaked passwords and other sensitive information are urged to take a few actions, as advised by CyberNews.
Consider using a password manager to create, store and apply strong and secure passwords for your online accounts.