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If there is one reason to stop using passwords and transition to a password-less system, it would make data breaches less devastating. According to security researcher Jeremiah Fowler, he has come across a massive online database containing millions of leaked passwords from various Microsoft and Google accounts.
Microsoft and Google passwords leaked
According to Fowler, this is a huge database. It contains more than 184 million passwords across various online services, including social media logins and bank accounts. It also affects various tech companies like Microsoft and Google, along with Apple, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.
The worst thing is that this database is apparently unencrypted. This means that whoever knows it exists can read its context since it’s essentially a plain text file. Based on Fowler’s analysis, it seems that this data was stolen using an infostealer malware. This type of malware steals usernames and passwords from breached websites and servers.
Thankfully, the hosting provider has removed public access after Fowler reached out. Unfortunately, we’re not sure how many accounts might have been compromised while it was still up and running. Fowler notes that because the hosting provider would not disclose customer information, he isn’t sure if the database was used for criminal activity or for research purposes.
Moving into a password-less future
This situation, in which passwords from Google and Microsoft were leaked, is a good example of why we need to move to a password-less system. Right now, many companies are starting to adopt passkeys.
If you’re unfamiliar with it, passkeys are a system that does not rely on passwords to authenticate users. Instead, it relies on devices like our smartphones to authenticate logins. This is because all smartphones these days feature some kind of biometric security system, whether it’s fingerprint or facial recognition.
This means that, unlike brute-force hacking passwords or intercepting OTPs, it’s considerably harder to fake a fingerprint or face, making our devices more secure compared to traditional passwords. However, passkey adoption isn’t as widespread as we would like to see it yet. Hopefully, in the next few years, it will be a much different story.
This article first appeared on Android Headlines
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