Five million Gmail accounts hacked and posted to Russian website

Millions of Gmail users are being advised to change their passwords after a database with usernames and passwords was hacked and exposed on an internet site. Hackers revealed nearly 5 million Gmail account details and passwords on Bitcoin Security – a popular Russian website devoted to cryptocurrency.

The leak became known after a user posted a link to the log-in credentials on Reddit frequented by hackers, professional and aspiring. It is still unclear how anyone obtained the vast collection of usernames and passwords. The stolen information could allow hackers access to Gmail as well as other Google services, including YouTube.

According to the Russian tech blog Habrahabr, leaked Gmail addresses and passwords were most likely compiled through phishing scams, use of weak passwords and other common compromises, not as a result of a hacked Google server. Similar databases of email addresses and passwords from Yandex and Mail.ru, two popular Russian-language services, were made public earlier this week.

Google has advised users who fear their Gmail information may have been hacked to avoid typing their username and password into any website that will purportedly check if the credentials have been compromised.

These sites could be posing as authentic, secure websites affiliated with Gmail, but are actually scams to steal more Gmail account information. This is a popular method used among hackers to steal log-in credentials, and many sites have already popped up in response to the Gmail hack.

However, Google is warning affected users to take steps to further protect their Gmail accounts, such as creating a stronger password and using an extra security feature called two-step authentication.

In the meantime, there is a tool that allows you to easily check if your account has been compromised. Simply type your email address into the IsLeaked tool to see if your account has been exposed.

Due to the high volume of people trying to check their accounts, the site has been experiencing a gateway error. If you get an error message, reload the page or check back a little later.