26 Billion Records Leaked in Monumental Data Breach Involving Twitter, Linkedin, and Dropbox – Here’s How to Verify Your Affected Statu

The discovery of what is likely the largest data leak ever has brought to light a staggering 26 billion records compromised in a recent data breach. This extensive breach, amounting to 13 terabytes of data, is reported to encompass a multitude of compiled and reindexed leaks, breaches, and privately traded databases. Notably, user data from platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter/X, and Dropbox is included.

This breach surpasses any seen before, and we provide comprehensive information on what is currently known, including guidance on how to determine if your information has been impacted.

Details About the Breach

Cybersecurity researcher Bob Dyachenko, along with researchers from Cybernews.com, initially raised the alarm about the data breach. According to their findings, the leaked dataset comprises 26 billion records spread across 3,800 folders, each linked to an individual data breach. Although the majority of the leak pertains to information from past breaches, including duplicates, it is crucial to acknowledge the likely inclusion of new data.

Identifying the party responsible for the breach is challenging. Researchers speculate that the culprits, possibly data brokers or malicious actors, have a vested interest in accumulating substantial data. This sensitive information could be exploited for various attacks, such as phishing scams and identity theft, posing unprecedented risks to consumers, according to Dyachenko and the Cybernews team.

Affected Entities

Tencent, the Chinese multinational conglomerate operating platforms like WeChat, has suffered the most significant impact with 1.5 billion records leaked. Other prominently affected companies, along with the number of records leaked, include Weibo, MySpace, Twitter/X, Wattpad, Deezer, LinkedIn, and more. The leak extends beyond corporations, reaching various government organizations in the U.S., Brazil, Germany, the Philippines, and other nations.

Checking for Compromise

To assess whether your data is compromised, utilize Cybernews’ Personal Data Leak Checker. Enter your email address, phone number, or related personal information to verify if your data has been compromised. If affected, it is advised to promptly change the password for any impacted accounts and enable two-factor authentication.

Cybernews researchers emphasize the potential risk of using identical passwords across different accounts, warning that attackers could exploit this vulnerability to access more sensitive accounts. Even if unaffected, it is prudent to evaluate the security of your login credentials and uphold good cyber hygiene practices, including using strong passwords, secure vaults or password managers, enabling multi-factor authentication, and reviewing and updating accounts sharing the same password.