Every year it seems like hackers are breaking into websites and online services to get at everyone’s personal and credit card information. Kickstarter and Forbes were just some of the websites attacked, causing users to change their passwords. The latest occurrence revolves around five million Gmail addresses and passwords showing up on a Russian Bitcoin forum.
The Gmail addresses and passwords were procured by Russian hackers, but there is some good news. It appears that the data is old and possibly originates from multiple data breaches, claims one security firm. In addition, the data seems to have been acquired from other sites that allow users to sign in with Gmail rather than retrieving the data from Google itself.
Image credit: Google
Commenting on the recent event, a Google representative sent out a statement that reads, “The security of our users is of paramount importance to us. We have no evidence that our systems have been compromised, but whenever we become aware that an account has been compromised, we take steps to help our users securetheir accounts.”
Meanwhile, various users noticed that their accounts and passwords were in the archive but noted that the passwords taken were either old or not their Gmail password but a password used for other sites. Some of the sites, where the data was collected from, were identified that includes Friendster, FileDropper, and Freebiejeebies.
However, if a user’s password is one they reuse all the time, then it would be wise to change it. Those with unique passwords for their Gmail account appear to be safe. But if you really want to protect your personal information, then be sure to implement the two-factor authentication feature on websites and services that provide it.
