Australian cybersecurity expert, Troy Hunt, spoke about the incident, noting that the volume of stolen data amounted to 3.5 terabytes, equivalent to 875 full high-definition movies. He added that all major email providers, including Outlook and Yahoo, were affected by this hack.

How to check if your email has been hacked?

The incident occurred in April 2025, but was only recently made public on his Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) website. The hacked data contains email addresses, websites accessed, and passwords used.

To verify:

1. Visit the HIBP website.

2. Enter your email in the search bar.

3. Click the “Verify” button to see any hacks associated with your account.

Even if your email does not appear in the recent hack, it may have been exposed to previous hacks that occurred over the past years.

If your email is found to be affected:

• Change your password immediately.

• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to receive a code on your phone when you log in.

• Use unique passwords for each account, and it is preferable to rely on a password manager to make them easier to manage.

Hunt explained that the breach was not an isolated case, but rather the result of stolen logs — data files created by malware, replicating data across multiple platforms. He added that passwords used on other sites such as Amazon, eBay and Netflix are also at risk.

Expert tips

Security experts stressed the need to use long and complex passwords of no less than 16 characters, including upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols. They stressed the importance of enabling multi-factor authentication whenever it is available.

Benjamin Brundage, of cybersecurity platform Synthient, stated that users should not assume security just because they use strong passwords.

Source: Daily Mail