What is called the largest password leak in history has just been confirmed: a total of 16 billion login credentials (passwords), on many major platforms such as Apple, Google, Facebook, GitHub and others, are now exposed and circulating "online".
Researchers say the leak comes from 30 separate datasets, most of which are new, not recycled. The data belongs to 184 million users worldwide.
And it's not just usernames and passwords. URLs, emails, and full login sequences on dozens of platforms have also reportedly been leaked.
According to experts, this is a plan for mass "phishing", accounting, and digital identity theft on a global scale.
"This is fresh, large-scale armed intelligence," the researchers said as they called for urgent password change.