10/29/2021- 6:51 a.m.
“Spray Attack:” BILLIONS of passwords HACKED – Warns Microsoft
The tech giant has sent a chilling warning about evolving techniques used by hackers to breach multiple accounts – in what’s known as a “password spray” attack.
“This threat is a moving target with techniques and tools always changing,” Microsoft researchers wrote in a blog post, with Google estimating 4 BILLION username/password combinations have been leaked in recent years.
Password spray attacks attempt to use the same combinations once they’ve breached one account to access others, exploiting people who have multiple identical login details.
Two Techniques Revealed:
▪️Matching already known usernames to common passwords like “123456” or… “password”
▪️Using previous usernames and passwords leaked online by cyber criminals – in 2012, 6.5MN logins were leaked from LinkedIn
You can use tools like Have I Been Pwned or Password Checkup to find out whether your accounts have been compromised.
