The largest database of passwords has been published on the Internet, with about 10 billion passwords

Cybernews researchers have discovered the largest collection of passwords, consisting of 9,948,575,739 unique combinations, stored in a publicly accessible location. A password file named "Rockyou2024.txt" was spotted on a hacking forum. It's actually a desirable target for attackers who use password guessing to hack into people's accounts, TechRadar reports. Exposing so many passwords significantly increases the risk of password-guessing attacks," Cybernews notes. According to available data, the file in question was published on July 4 by a user with the nickname ObamaCare, who had already posted the earlier leaked data after registering on the forum. . Researchers say that the RockYou2024 database can be used by attackers to launch guessing attacks to gain unauthorized access to various online accounts used by people whose passwords appear on this list. The RockYou2024 file is said to be based on several on data leaks that have occurred over the past two decades. At the same time, 1.5 billion passwords that appeared on the Internet between 2021 and 2024 were added to the file. Experts warn that such a large database of passwords can be used by attackers to carry out various types of attacks, and not only online services are at risk, but also industrial equipment, street cameras, etc. combined with, for example, containing users' email addresses and other data, RockYou2024 can contribute to a whole range of new data leaks, financial fraud and identity theft," Cybernews notes.