Google is once again denying allegations of a massive data breach affecting its Gmail service. The company's statement follows multiple news outlets reporting that 183 million user credentials may have been compromised in the alleged security issue.
Google claims that the reported breach is not accurate, stating that the listed accounts are likely recent additions to the "Have I Been Pwned" database, a website that tracks leaked data breaches. This means that users whose information is currently being tracked on the site, but have not yet been previously identified as victims of a breach, may be seeing an error.
The creator of "HIBP", Troy Hunt, has stated in his blog post that over 90% of the stolen credentials are recurring, rather than fresh breaches. However, about 16.4 million addresses were showing up for the first time on the site, indicating potential new victims of data breaches.
Google asserts that users remain protected, citing strong defenses against security threats and emphasizing the use of infostealer databases to track credential theft activity across the web. The company advises users to reset their passwords immediately if compromised, recommending the use of 2-step verification or passkeys for added security.
The denial is not Google's first response this year following similar breach allegations. In a previous instance, the company released an unusual statement in an attempt to put to rest rumors about Gmail being hit with a major security issue.
Google claims that the reported breach is not accurate, stating that the listed accounts are likely recent additions to the "Have I Been Pwned" database, a website that tracks leaked data breaches. This means that users whose information is currently being tracked on the site, but have not yet been previously identified as victims of a breach, may be seeing an error.
The creator of "HIBP", Troy Hunt, has stated in his blog post that over 90% of the stolen credentials are recurring, rather than fresh breaches. However, about 16.4 million addresses were showing up for the first time on the site, indicating potential new victims of data breaches.
Google asserts that users remain protected, citing strong defenses against security threats and emphasizing the use of infostealer databases to track credential theft activity across the web. The company advises users to reset their passwords immediately if compromised, recommending the use of 2-step verification or passkeys for added security.
The denial is not Google's first response this year following similar breach allegations. In a previous instance, the company released an unusual statement in an attempt to put to rest rumors about Gmail being hit with a major security issue.
... I mean, 183 million user credentials, that's crazy! But at the same time, I guess if most of those accounts are just new additions to the "Have I Been Pwned" database, it's not like they've actually been breached. Still, it's weird that so many addresses keep popping up - you'd think Google would know who's getting hacked and who's not 
.
I mean, I get that Google's saying it's not accurate and that the accounts are from a database, but how can they be so sure? 90% of the stolen credentials recurring is pretty alarming if you ask me 
. And what's up with only 16.4 million showing up for the first time... like, isn't that just more proof that something went down? 
I'm still gonna reset my password just in case though, better safe than sorry 
I'm getting so sick of these big corporations just brushing off huge data breaches like they're nothing. 183 million user credentials compromised? That's a LOT of people, dude! 
Give me a break!
. and google's got some strong security stuff in place, i guess? like, shouldn't they be more transparent about what's going on? it feels like they're kinda dodgy 
.
. The trail was surrounded by these amazing wildflowers, and I swear they were glowing in the fading light 
. It got me thinking, have you ever noticed how some plants can just thrive in crazy conditions? Like, certain trees can grow with their roots facing upwards – it's wild! 
Anyway, back to Gmail... I'm not sure what to believe, but it's like, we all know passwords get compromised eventually 
. And don't even get me started on their suggestion that users reset their passwords and use 2-step verification or passkeys. Easy for them to say, right? 
. Give us the facts, Google! 
. 2-step verification and passkeys are always a good idea btw 
183 million credentials is a huge number, and if Google's saying that most of those are new victims (16.4 million addresses), that's still a lot of people who have had their personal info compromised 
. the problem is, how many people are actually going to reset their passwords and take these steps? probably not as many as you'd think 
. anyway, lesson learned: don't be too quick to trust the big guys, and always keep your guard up online 
! But Google's response sounds legit? Maybe they're right and those accounts are just getting tracked by HIBP for the first time 
. I mean, Troy Hunt said over 90% of stolen credentials are recurring, so it's possible that not all those reported breaches were fresh ones 
...
even if it's not the whole number of accounts that were actually breached, it's still a huge mess for users who had their info compromised.