By Sharon Knowles, Da Vinci CyberSecurity, South Africa
In May 2024, cybersecurity sources including DataBreaches.net and Cybernews.com reported 2 billion rows of sensitive data surfacing on malicious Telegram channels. The dataset includes 361 million unique emails, usernames, passwords, and the websites they were used on — totalling 122GB of data in 1,700 files.
Collected from combo-lists and info-stealer malware, this data poses risks for businesses and individuals alike. With millions of credentials now public, the risk of unauthorised access, phishing, and account takeovers for employees, customers, and partners has increased significantly.
How to Check if You’re Affected:
- Monitor Exposed Credentials: Use public or corporate monitoring solutions like Have I Been Pwned to check for email and password leaks.
- Audit Employee Logins: Conduct regular audits, especially for accounts with privileged access.
- Look Out for Suspicious Activity: Monitor for sudden logins from unknown IP addresses or other unusual behaviour. (Source: Canva)
Steps to Strengthen Security:
1. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Add extra security layers to critical systems.
2. Enforce Password Updates: Ensure employees use strong, unique passwords and refresh them regularly.
3. Invest in Security Training: Educate your team to recognise phishing and security best practices.
4. Use a Password Manager: Encourage password management tools for safe storage and secure password generation.
Don’t wait until a breach impacts your organisation — take proactive steps to protect your data. Stay secure. Protect what matters.
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Sharon Knowles (CCCi)(3CIA)(CCI) is part of the Da Vinci Forensics & Cybersecurity team, which is based in South Africa.
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