5 Million Gmail Passwords and Usernames Leaked

First Apple had their iCloud fiasco, and now the business giant Google has seen 5 million of its users have their usernames and passwords published online.

The evidence of this has been seen on Russian forum boards, incorporating a comprehensive list of all the people affected and are now seencirculating around file sharing websites. But according to Google, this issue is not due to a direct leak of Gmail services, with experts claiming that this list was most likely compromised over a long period of time with the information being stolen from other websites.

Thanks to The Next Web, we were able to read the direct statement from a Google spokesperson which reads:

“We have no evidence that our systems have been compromised, but whenever we become aware that accounts may have been, we take steps to help those users secure their accounts.”

Since the leak, the forum linked above has purged the passwords in the original text file, with only the login information remaining. But, if you’re a cyber-criminal looking to take advantage of the situation, the original poster claims that at least 60% of the uncovered account passwords are valid and functional.

We suggest that you change your password just to be safe – and don’t go searching for the document yourself as you never know what you’ll find. Google also suggests you enable their 2-step verification process.

Image courtesy of Create New Gmail Account