Gmail password warning issued as 48 million logins are exposed
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- A top security researcher has warned that an estimated 48 million Gmail account credentials were leaked online.
- Jeremiah Fowler uncovered a database containing 149 million stolen usernames and passwords for top sites collected from “victims around the world,” he wrote in a blog post.
- A Google spokesperson told the Daily Mail that the tech giant was aware of reports about the dataset “containing a wide range of credentials, including some from Gmail,” and that the breach wasn’t new.
- “This data represents a compilation of 'infostealer' logs, credentials harvested from personal devices by third-party malware, that have been aggregated over time,” the spokesperson said. “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.”
- In addition to changing your password, Fowler warned Gmail users to update their system and security software, review app permissions, and only install apps from official app stores.