Security Warning: 10 Billion Passwords Hacked from Popular Websites

Internet experts have warned that it is important to update passwords across websites after a hacker leaked billions of login details.

The leak, dubbed RockYou2024, was published on July 4 and contains 10 billion passwords from a range of old and new data breaches.

The experts who uncovered the leak said the information could allow hackers to target any system not protected by stringent security software, including online and offline services and online cameras.

This could lead to a wave of data breaches, financial fraud and identity theft using passwords, which have been collected from more than 4,000 databases over the past two decades.

Cybernews experts said the hacker goes by the name ObamaCare. It appears to be using 8.4 billion passwords from a previous crime forum that was released in 2021.

An additional 1.5 billion new passwords were obtained from the records between 2021 and 2024.

"Christmas came early this year. Introducing the new Rockyou2024 password list, which contains over 9.9 billion passwords," ObamaCare wrote on the forum.

“The RockYou2024 leak is, in essence, a collection of real-world passwords used by individuals around the world,” the experts said.

Cybernews told Forbes that experts have been in contact with the hacker and are investigating the datasets, about 30 gigabytes of lists from which the data was extracted.

As a precaution, users should immediately change their passwords on all accounts, choosing strong, unique combinations that are not used across multiple platforms.