A massive global data breach has exposed 184 million unique account credentials, prompting Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team (NCERT) to issue an urgent advisory. The breach reportedly compromised usernames, passwords, email addresses, and associated URLs connected to major platforms, including Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as government websites, banks, and healthcare systems worldwide.
The compromised data is believed to have been gathered through “infostealer” malware, which harvested sensitive information from infected devices. Alarmingly, the exposed data was stored in plain text format without encryption or security measures. NCERT has urged the public to immediately change passwords for their social media and online accounts to minimize potential risks.
The breach has severe consequences, including credential stuffing attacks, account takeovers, identity theft, and targeted phishing. Unauthorised access to sensitive government systems and critical sectors is also a major concern. Individuals and enterprises are at risk of ransomware deployment and espionage, making it essential to take swift action to protect potentially affected systems.
NCERT stresses the importance of reducing the risk of further exploitation by taking immediate action. Users are advised to change passwords, avoid using the same credentials across multiple services, and remain vigilant against targeted scams and phishing attempts. By taking proactive measures, individuals and organizations can minimize the impact of this massive data breach.
Meta AI response: Global Data Breach Hits 184 Million Accounts: NCERT Issues Urgent Advisory A massive global data breach has exposed 184 million unique account credentials, prompting Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team (NCERT) to issue an urgent advisory. The breach reportedly compromised usernames, passwords, email addresses, and associated URLs connected to major platforms, including Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as government websites, banks, and healthcare systems worldwide. The compromised data is believed to have been gathered through “infostealer” malware, which harvested sensitive information from infected devices. Alarmingly, the exposed data was stored in plain text format without encryption or security measures. NCERT has urged the public to immediately change passwords for their social media and online accounts to minimize potential risks. The breach has severe consequences, including credential stuffing attacks, account takeovers, identity theft, and targeted phishing. Unauthorised access to sensitive government systems and critical sectors is also a major concern. Individuals and enterprises are at risk of ransomware deployment and espionage, making it essential to take swift action to protect potentially affected systems. NCERT stresses the importance of reducing the risk of further exploitation by taking immediate action. Users are advised to change passwords, avoid using the same credentials across multiple services, and remain vigilant against targeted scams and phishing attempts. By taking proactive measures, individuals and organizations can minimize the impact of this massive data breach.