Cybersecurity experts are warning users to take urgent action after a massive leak exposed billions of login credentials from major online platforms, including Google, Facebook, and Apple.

Billions of Accounts at Risk

Researchers from Cybernews have uncovered 30 datasets online containing around 16 billion compromised login credentials. The affected data covers a wide range of popular services, raising serious concerns about the scale and impact of the breach. While the number of leaked credentials is much higher than the world’s population, researchers caution that many users likely had multiple accounts leaked, and there are numerous duplicates.

Leaked Over Time, Not a Single Breach

Unlike past incidents targeting a single company, these credentials were gathered over several breaches and compiled together, making it difficult to determine exactly how many unique users were affected. The leak was discovered after the data was briefly exposed online.

How Did This Happen?

The likely culprits are “infostealers”—malicious software that infiltrates devices to steal login details and other sensitive information.

What Should You Do?

Experts advise users to change their passwords immediately and avoid reusing the same password across different sites. Using a password manager or passkey is recommended for keeping track of unique passwords, and enabling multifactor authentication adds extra security.