A cybersecurity expert, Troy Hunt, has disclosed a massive data breach involving over 183 million unique email addresses and passwords, affecting users of major email service providers including Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo.
Hunt, who operates the global breach notification platform “Have I Been Pwned,” revealed that the compromised data was compiled from “stealer logs” – files generated by malicious software designed to extract personal information from infected devices.
He described the breach as a “vast corpus” of stolen data amounting to 3.5 terabytes, equivalent to approximately 875 full-length high-definition movies.
“The data includes email addresses, passwords, and the websites they were used on. Gmail accounts feature heavily, but all major providers are represented,” Hunt said in a blog post.
The breach, which occurred in April, was only recently disclosed following analysis by threat intelligence firm Synthient.
Hunt noted that the data is not from a single incident but a collection of malware-driven thefts replicated across various platforms.
“Stealer logs are more of a firehose of data that’s just constantly spewing personal info all over the place,” he said.
He advised users to visit the “Have I Been Pwned” website to check if their email addresses were affected and to take immediate steps to secure their accounts.
Cybersecurity experts have urged affected users to change their passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and avoid reusing credentials across multiple platforms.
The breach has raised concerns about the growing threat of malware and the need for improved digital hygiene among internet users globally.
