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If you’ve been ignoring those pesky “suspicious login” alerts in your inbox, now might be the time to pay attention.
Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered an unprotected online database in May 2025, exposing over 184 million records — including email addresses, passwords and login links — stored in plain text (1). The leaked data is tied to major platforms like Apple, Google, Facebook and Microsoft, along with government and financial services.
Fowler is usually able to trace an exposed database back to its source — spotting breadcrumbs like company names, employee records or customer information. But this time the trail ran dry. There were no telltale signs of who the data belonged to or how it ended up online, making the breach even more unsettling.
“As far as the risk factor here, this is way bigger than most of the stuff I find, because this is direct access into individual accounts,” Fowler told Wired (2). “This is a cybercriminal’s dream working list.”
The breach could fuel fraud, identity theft and more. While data leaks might feel like background noise, ignoring this one could come back to bite you — especially if your Netflix password doubles as your online banking login. Here are some smart steps you can take to keep your information safe.
In a 10,000-record sample of the breached data, Fowler found hundreds of compromised accounts, including major consumer platforms like Netflix, PayPal, Amazon and Apple. A keyword search revealed 187 mentions of “bank” and 57 of “wallet,” suggesting the breach may have exposed financial data, too. Perhaps most concerning was the discovery of 220 email addresses associated with .gov domains, raising broader national security implications.
The scale of cyberattacks isn’t just growing but evolving in ways that are becoming harder to contain, track and remediate.
Even publications that report on cybercrime aren’t immune. In December 2025, Wired and its parent company Condé Nast were targeted, with approximately 2.3 million email addresses leaked, and hundreds of thousands of names, physical addresses and phone numbers included in the breach. The exposed data elevates the risk of phishing, account takeover, doxing, and social engineering attacks for individuals affected in the leak, and shows how easily even large companies can be targeted (3).
Protecting your personal information online doesn’t require a tech degree — but it does take intention.
“This is perhaps a kick in the pants for some people who’ve been a little bit lax in doing some of the things we talk about,” Teresa Murray, who directs the Consumer Watchdog office of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, told WFLA News Channel 8 (4).
Murray suggests changing your passwords now, updating them regularly and never reusing the same one, or even a similar one, across multiple sites. Your primary email and financial accounts should have strong, unique passwords that aren’t used anywhere else.
Murray also recommends freezing your credit files with all three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — and leaving them frozen until you need to make a major purchase. This won’t affect your credit score, but it will make it much harder for criminals to open new accounts in your name.
Another step you can take is to enable multi-factor authentication wherever it’s available. This adds an extra layer of protection, even if a hacker does get their hands on your login credentials. You can also use free tools like Google’s Password Checkup to see if your information has been compromised in a breach. If it has, update your login credentials as soon as possible.
There are also paid tools that offer extra layers of protection, like Aura. This scam alert service uses AI monitoring to look for unusual transactions, sending alerts for any suspicious or significant activity within minutes. Their U.S.-based fraud experts are available 24/7 to ensure you can find accurate information and resolve the situation quickly.
Aura also offers credit monitoring, identity theft protection and parental controls so you can ensure your children don’t fall prey to these fraudsters. Plus, Aura delivers fraud alerts up to 250 times faster than other services of this kind.
Sign up today to enjoy this extra layer of security when you’re online.
Finally, another way to easily protect yourself is to sign up for transaction alerts from your credit card provider, and make sure your contact details are up to date. Murray’s best practices for internet password safety can also be easily applied to your banking practices.
When it comes to cybersecurity, vigilance can pay dividends for your peace of mind.
