Recent security reports have revealed a massive breach that stole over 183 million passwords and email addresses, prompting experts to urge all Gmail users to immediately check their accounts. Australian cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt commented on the incident, stating that the volume of stolen data amounted to 3.5 terabytes, equivalent to 875 full-length high-definition movies. He added that all major email providers, including Outlook and Yahoo, were affected by this breach. The incident occurred in April 2025 but was only recently announced via his 'Have I Been Pwned' (HIBP) website. The breached data contains email addresses, the sites users logged into, and the passwords they used. To check if you are affected:- Visit the HIBP website.- Enter your email address in the search bar.- Click the 'Pwned?' button to see if your account has been compromised in any known data breaches.- Even if your email does not appear in the latest breach, it may have been compromised in previous incidents over the years.- If your email is on the list, change your password immediately.- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to receive a code on your phone when logging in.- Use unique passwords for each account, preferably managed by a password manager. Hunt explained that the breach was not an isolated incident but a result of 'login' breaches—data files created by malware that contain recycled data across multiple platforms. He also noted that passwords used on other sites like Amazon, eBay, and Netflix are also at risk. Security experts stressed the need for long and complex passwords of at least 16 characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. They also emphasized the importance of enabling multi-factor authentication wherever it is available, according to Russia Today. Benjamin Braund from the Synthient cybersecurity platform noted that users should not assume they are safe just because they use strong passwords.
