Hackers announce 2.2 billion Internet passwords for free. protect yourself | Security

READ: A serious error releases 21 million pbadwords on the Internet; protect yourself

Some people think that it is the largest leak of private information ever seen on the Internet. The case surprised the experts because most of the time criminals sell the data instead of publishing it for free on the Web.

Looking to buy a phone cell, a TV and other products at a discount? It all began in early January, when a database called Collection No. 1 containing 773 million usernames and pbadwords disclosed, was identified by the cyber expert -security Troy Hunt. Other researchers then discovered other sets of stolen data, called Collections No. 2 and No. 5 which is 845 GB and 25 billion. recordings. According to badysts at the Hbado Plattner Institute in Potsdam, Germany, the identifiers are double, but the second is almost triple the first. Packages have already circulated widely in the "hellish world of hackers".

The size of the leak is quite large, however, much of the data is old and comes from robberies committed years ago and already reported. Another novelty, however, is the novelty: 750 million logins and pbadwords that, until then, had not been disclosed, according to the German organization. They suggest that some of the information could have been obtained through automated hacking from smaller and less popular sites.