Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team (NCERT) has issued a critical warning urging citizens to change their passwords following a massive global data breach exposing 184 million unique account credentials.
The advisory, released Monday, revealed that usernames, passwords, email addresses, and URLs tied to major platforms including Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat were compromised. The breach also affected sensitive government portals, banking institutions, and healthcare systems worldwide.
Massive Global Credential Breach by Yousaf Nizami
According to NCERT, the data was stolen using infostealer malware—a type of malicious software designed to extract sensitive information from infected devices. Alarmingly, the stolen data was stored in plain text, without encryption or password protection, making it easily accessible to cybercriminals.
The breach puts users at risk of various cyberattacks, including credential stuffing (automated hacking attempts using stolen credentials), unauthorized account takeovers, identity theft, ransomware attacks, and targeted phishing scams. Government and critical infrastructure systems could also face serious compromise.
NCERT emphasized that the attack vector was “low complexity,” requiring minimal user interaction for the initial infection, but no restrictions on accessing the leaked data. The advisory classified the threat as “high risk” with widespread implications for individuals and organizations.
To mitigate risks, NCERT strongly advises all users to:
- Immediately change passwords for all social media and online accounts, using strong, unique passwords.
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible for added security.
- Be vigilant against suspicious emails, messages, or phone calls that could be phishing attempts.
- Monitor accounts regularly for unauthorized activity.
- Avoid storing passwords in unsecured emails or files; use trusted password managers.
Organizations are urged to:
- Enforce regular password rotation policies.
- Apply least privilege access controls for sensitive systems.
- Train employees on secure credential management and phishing awareness.
- Use email monitoring tools and keep security software updated.
- Monitor for unusual login attempts and use security information and event management (SIEM) tools to detect anomalies.
- Update incident response plans to handle credential breach scenarios and conduct simulation exercises.
This global data leak poses an immediate threat to Pakistan’s citizens and organizations alike. NCERT’s call for swift action is crucial to prevent further exploitation of stolen credentials and protect digital identities from being compromised.
