Over 620 million unique email addresses and passwords were put up for sale on the dark web this February.

We are only 3 months in to the new year and there has already been 2.2 billion unique email address and password combinations posted to the web for cybercriminals to attack.

On Tuesday 12th February, 617 million account credentials were put up for sale with the account details stolen during breaches of large websites across the world.

Criminals are able to purchase the credentials for $20,000 worth of Bitcoin, meaning all of the accounts are under threat. It is difficult to know whether the records have already been purchased, however it is highly likely that that they eventually will be.

CYBER WISE INSIDER

Cyber Wise subscribers will receive a Cyber Wise Insider Action Pack this week which will include;

  • Cyber Wise Insider ? containing more information on what to expect from the latest breaches and how to stay protected.
  • Breach Report ? a report of the email addresses on your domain that have been reported as stolen by leading security experts.
  • Cyber Wise Courses ? Your users will receive new courses relevant to the latest breaches to refresh their Cyber Wise knowledge.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO STAY PROTECTED?

Have a different password for every online account – When a cybercriminal steals your credentials they will likely try them on other accounts to see if they are the same. Use password managing software to store all of your strong, complex credentials for all of your accounts.

Be on the lookout for SPAM emails and Phishing attacks – If your email address has been stolen in a breach, then there is a high chance it will be targeted by criminals with SPAM and Phishing emails. Check out the Cyber Wise website to learn how to prevent and spot Phishing attacks.

Change passwords you have had for a long time ? The longer you have been using a password, secure or not, the more likely it is to be included in some of the data breaches. Regularly changing passwords helps to keep the criminals out of your personal accounts.