Passwords Archives - Fighting Identity Crimes powered by EZShield

1.4B Credentials Dumped, Dark Web Database Found

By John Burcham in Breach and Scam News December 20, 2017 2 Comments

From Data Dump to Dark Web Database

On Dec. 5, 2017, a massive database with data from over 300 data breaches was discovered on the Dark Web. This Dark Web database contains over 1.4 billion unique clear text, or publicly viewable, login credentials, which experts have confirmed are legitimate pairings.

To make a long story short, 41GB of publicly viewable data was dumped on the Dark Web. From there, the information became accessible via a “Dark Web database,” allowing hackers to search the aggregated data by password type, user, breach event and more.

Unlike a single data breach event, this database aggregates breached data from hundreds of big-name data breaches like Netflix, LinkedIn, Minecraft and Bitcoin. The database is even more concerning because the information was found in clear text – meaning that anyone with access to it can view it. Continue reading

Passwords: The Keys To Your Online Life

By John Burcham in Personal Protection May 5, 2017 2 Comments

When’s the last time you thought about your passwords? With over 90 billion passwords in existence today, the overall shift to online platforms and the boom in social media usage have made passwords an integral part of our daily online lives.

Whether it’s connecting to a game with a Facebook profile, sharing Netflix credentials with a roommate, or asking a spouse to check a bank account statement, sharing our passwords has become a trend that we don’t often realize is putting our information at risk.

Are we really expected to have a separate password for each of our numerous online accounts – and do all of them have to be ridiculously long, confusing and hard to remember? We’re instructed not to write them down or keep them on our mobile devices so… how are we supposed to keep track of them?

1 Billion Breached, 2nd Yahoo Hack

By John Burcham in Breach and Scam News March 15, 2017 0 Comment

UPDATE 10/5/2017: In 2016, Yahoo confirmed that its 2013 data breach affected 1 billion accounts – making it the largest data breach in history. Unfortunately, the company confirmed today that all Yahoo accounts were affected, bringing the number closer to 3 billion.

Yahoo’s breach compromised email, Tumblr, Fantasy and Flickr accounts. The news comes after the company received new information that revealed more accounts were impacted than originally reported. Continue reading

Why Are Fraudsters Targeting College Students?

By Laura Bruck in Personal Protection August 8, 2016 0 Comment

If you know any college students or are one yourself, take advantage of this inside look at identity theft – and make sure to pass it on.

College opens minds to new ideas, doors to new opportunities and (unfortunately) eyes to issues often overlooked: experiencing identity theft and fraud. The 20 to 29 age group is most affected by identity theft, representing 20 percent of victims according to a 2014 Federal Trade Commission report.