Hackers have published a total of 361 million sensitive data records on Telegram, such as email addresses and the associated passwords. Are you also affected? Here’s how to find out.
Hackers have published their loot on Telegram. (Source: netzwelt)
As if it wasn’t bad enough that cyber criminals are infecting your smartphones with 90 malware-infected apps, there has now been a massive data scandal. Hackers have exposed an incredible 361 million email addresses on the messenger Telegram.
The stolen data sets were collected in a total of 518 channels of the messenger over the past few weeks. Telegram serves as a kind of archive for the cyber criminals. By publishing the data in the channels, they provide their colleagues with data that can be misused for future cyber attacks.
An anonymous security researcher came across the collection and promptly forwarded it to Troy Hunt, the founder of the Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) platform, according to a report on Hunt’s website.
Have I Been Pwned collects data that has been leaked in cyberattacks. You can enter your email address to check whether you have been affected by data leaks like the current one. According to Hunt, the package that was leaked to him is huge. It is 112 gigabytes in size and contains over 1,700 files.
Of the 361 million email addresses included, a full 151 million addresses were not previously in the HIBP database. A corresponding number of users are therefore probably affected by a data leak for the first time.
To act quickly
This data leak is not only huge, but also much more dangerous for you than usual. The hackers’ Telegram archive contains not only the exposed email addresses, but also the associated passwords and sometimes even websites. Cyber criminals therefore don’t even have to go to the trouble of cracking your account. With the information provided, they can simply log in and take over your account.
The consequences can be extremely serious for you. Financial damage or even identity theft are very likely. That’s why you should immediately check whether you are also affected by the data leak.
If this is the case, you need to act quickly. Immediately change your password on all your accounts and log out of every device. Choose a secure password and enable two-factor authentication wherever possible.
Stay safe in the future
Fraudsters may have already gained access, so you should check your accounts for unusual activity. You may also become more likely to fall victim to phishing emails or spam calls in the future.
To minimize the chance of being affected by a data leak in the future, you should share your data carefully. If a company is hacked, you could suffer. Also be careful when downloading software. Malware often lurks on dubious sites. You can also protect yourself with an antivirus program.
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