19 Billion Passwords Exposed in Major Data Breach

A massive analysis of over 19 billion leaked passwords from more than 200 data breaches since April 2024 reveals that 94% of them are reused or duplicated, making them highly vulnerable to cyberattacks such as credential stuffing. Common patterns like '123456' remain extremely prevalent, along with simple words, names, and easily guessed strings. The scale and accessibility of these exposed credentials on criminal forums have heightened risks for users globally, with even low breach success rates resulting in thousands of compromised accounts. Security experts emphasize that users should abandon password reuse, adopt stronger authentication methods like passkeys and multi-factor authentication, and use credential managers to better safeguard their digital identities. The ongoing epidemic of weak passwords is exacerbated by the fact that most people still rely on short, simple passwords, and phishing—especially via SMS—remains a significant, under-addressed threat. Addressing both password habits and evolving phishing tactics is crucial to reducing future breaches.