Google has been forced to deny allegations that Gmail was breached, once again this year, after reports emerged suggesting that a massive data breach may have exposed the credentials of 183 million users. The tech giant claimed that these accounts are not fresh victims of an attack, but rather recent additions to a database tracking compromised passwords.
In a statement posted on its platform X, Google stated that "reports of a 'Gmail security breach impacting millions of users' are false" and reiterated that its defenses are strong, ensuring user protection. The company alleged that the inaccuracies were caused by a misunderstanding of infostealer databases, which compile various credential theft activities across the web.
Google uses these compilations to alert users of potential breaches, advising them to turn on 2-step verification, adopt passkeys, and reset passwords immediately if compromised. It's worth noting that over 90% of the stolen credentials have been seen before, according to data breach search engine Have I Been Pwned, suggesting that only a small percentage of accounts are actually new victims.
Troy Hunt, creator of Have I Been Pwned, explained in a blog post that while millions of stolen credentials were new additions to their database, 16.4 million addresses showed up for the first time. Google has been dealing with similar incidents recently, as it released an unusual statement last few months to quash allegations of Gmail being breached.
Google's response comes as the company continues to emphasize the importance of password security and encourages users to take proactive measures to protect themselves from potential breaches.
In a statement posted on its platform X, Google stated that "reports of a 'Gmail security breach impacting millions of users' are false" and reiterated that its defenses are strong, ensuring user protection. The company alleged that the inaccuracies were caused by a misunderstanding of infostealer databases, which compile various credential theft activities across the web.
Google uses these compilations to alert users of potential breaches, advising them to turn on 2-step verification, adopt passkeys, and reset passwords immediately if compromised. It's worth noting that over 90% of the stolen credentials have been seen before, according to data breach search engine Have I Been Pwned, suggesting that only a small percentage of accounts are actually new victims.
Troy Hunt, creator of Have I Been Pwned, explained in a blog post that while millions of stolen credentials were new additions to their database, 16.4 million addresses showed up for the first time. Google has been dealing with similar incidents recently, as it released an unusual statement last few months to quash allegations of Gmail being breached.
Google's response comes as the company continues to emphasize the importance of password security and encourages users to take proactive measures to protect themselves from potential breaches.
but gotta wonder if they're just trying to cover their own tracks, you know? it's always weird how these massive data breaches seem to pop up every now and then and not much gets done about it. the fact that 90% of the stolen credentials are old accounts is pretty wild tho... i mean what's the point of even having a database for compromised passwords if most of them are just gonna be reused anyway? 
anyway, glad to hear google's got some security measures in place and all, but we should still be super careful with our passwords 
183 million users, man... that's a whole lotta people havin' their info out there in the wild. I mean, Google's got some serious security measures in place, but it's like they're tryin' to put Band-Aids on bullet holes or somethin'. 
Give me a break! Can't we just have one day without these breaches, ya know? 
. I mean, come on Google, how many times do you need to deny something before people start believing it? 183 million users, that's a whole lotta credentials 
. If it were me, I'd be like "ok, maybe there was a breach" 
. And what's with the infostealer databases, sounds like some fancy tech speak to me 
. So if Google is telling us that only a small percentage are new victims, I'm calling BS 
. But honestly, who can trust them anymore? 
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. I'm not surprised though, passwords are like digital lottery tickets - anyone can get 'won' by a hacker. Google says the accounts aren't fresh victims, but it's hard to trust them right now 
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. I mean, 90% of those credentials have been seen before, so it's clear that only a small percentage of accounts are actual new victims 
. But still, Google's response is like, "oh no, we're fine, don't worry about it" 
. It's like, come on Google, own up to it and tell us what's really going on 
. But seriously, can't they just be honest with us for once? 
. I mean, I know passwords aren't super secure or anything, but 183 million people? That's just crazy! 
. But at the same time, I guess it's good that Google is trying to warn us about potential breaches and stuff. Maybe we should just be more careful with our passwords, you know? 
. Google's response seems legit but I need more info, how do we know the credentials aren't still compromised? It's good to see them using those infostealer databases to warn users tho, it's better than nothing 
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my heart goes out to all those people whose info got leaked 
. If 90% of those credentials have been seen before and only a small percentage are new victims, does that really sound like a massive breach? 
. 183 million users, huh? 
. Meanwhile, Google is all "don't worry, our defenses are strong" 
. Can we just get a password manager that actually works? 
, I mean what's new right? 
! Google's trying to spin it by saying it's not a fresh attack, just old stolen passwords being added to their database 
. Can't we just have one secure account for once? 
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. As Steve Jobs once said, "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." 