A data breach has exposed passwords from 16 billion accounts across Apple, Facebook, Google, and more.

2025-06-25

In early 2025, a significant data breach affected major platforms such as Apple, Facebook, and Google. Over 16 billion login credentials from these and other services were exposed in one of the largest breaches ever recorded.

Investigations into the Data Leak

Research findings revealed: Thirty datasets, spanning the first half of 2025, each containing tens of millions to over 3.5 billion records, were exposed in this incident.

The compromised data involves credentials from social media platforms, virtual private networks (VPNs), developer portals, and user accounts for numerous vendors. The leaked information typically includes a URL followed by login details and passwords. These credentials cover services like Apple, Facebook, Google, GitHub, Telegram, and various government services.

Cyber Threats Posed

Experts warn that this level of data exposure can result in severe cyber threats such as phishing attempts, account takeovers, ransomware attacks, and business email compromise (BEC) scams. The FBI has issued a caution regarding suspicious links sent via SMS messages.

Shared Responsibility in Cybersecurity

To mitigate risks, cybersecurity professionals advise investment in password management solutions and dark web monitoring tools. Basic practices include avoiding the reuse of passwords across multiple sites. Protecting credentials is a shared responsibility where organizations must secure users while individuals should remain vigilant against login information theft.

Preferred methods include more secure, passwordless authentication options like passkey. Tools such as password managers can generate strong, unique passwords and alert users in case of breaches.

Previous Incidents

A similar breach was reported in May 2025, when over 184 million account credentials from Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Instagram, and other major platforms were discovered in an online database. The earlier report detailed usernames, passwords, emails, URLs for social media apps, along with users’ details for bank accounts, health platforms, and government portals.