Five million usernames and passwords for Gmail accounts have been posted to a Russian Bitcoin forum (you know, those classic forums we all frequent), so it’s probably time to change your password.
Thankfully, a lot of the account details appear to be fairly old and gathered from outside sources (ie not directly from Google), so if you’ve changed your password recently, you’ll probably be OK. You can check if your account has been hacked here, and guys, mine was. So it’s not bullshit and you’ll all be overjoyed to know that I immediately changed my password to ilovethedebrief12 so I’m totally safe now.
If you’ve used different passwords than that for your Gmail account elsewhere on the internet, then you’re also likely to be protected but, if you’re a moron like me who uses the same one for everything, then probably choose a different one. Always good to err on the side of caution when the worst case scenario is that some Russian Bitcoin enthusiast has full access to your emails.
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‘The security of our users’ information is a top priority for us,’ Google told The Next Web. ‘We have no evidence that our systems have been compromised, but whenever we become aware that accounts may have been, we take steps to help those users secure their accounts.’
I have to say, part of me feels a bit special to have been one of the lucky ones to get hacked. I’ve had my Gmail for yonks, and haven’t changed the password since 1869, which is probably why I was vulnerable. Maybe I should do a thinkpiece on my feelings (I won’t).
Either way, check your account and have a lovely day, guys.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.