Data breach: Are your accounts secure?
- Cyberpeace Tech
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
A recent leak exposed more than 184 million records, including logins to platforms such as Apple, Google and social networks.
The alarming thing is that, among the compromised data, accounts linked to government agencies from at least 29 countries were also found.
Although the records have already been removed, the incident demonstrates how a misconfigured database can become a critical vulnerability. This type of event highlights the risks of storing large amounts of sensitive information without proper precautions.
An alarming finding
At the beginning of May, a cybersecurity researcher found an open database with more than 47 GB of information, containing credentials in plain text: usernames, passwords and tags identifying the type of account and its corresponding service.
Disturbingly, it was not possible to identify the owner of the database or the exact origin of the information. This opens the possibility that the data was collected by malicious actors through malware specialized in information theft (known as infostealer).
Among a sample of 10,000 records were active accounts from multiple popular platforms such as Facebook, Google, Instagram, Microsoft and entertainment, financial and video game services.
Some fields were in Portuguese, which could indicate Brazilian origin or a focus on Portuguese-speaking users.
In addition, hundreds of email addresses with a “.gov” domain were identified, suggesting that the accounts of public officials were also compromised.
What does this mean for Mexico?
Although this case was discovered outside the country, Mexico is not exempt from similar risks. The increasing digitization of public and private services has increased the collection of personal data, which, without adequate cybersecurity measures, could make Mexican institutions easy targets.
This type of incident highlights the urgency of reviewing and strengthening national cybersecurity, especially in government databases and platforms used by millions of citizens.
Quick closure, but many questions
The hosting provider responsible for the server on which the base was found claimed that the content was uploaded by a customer for illegal purposes. While the database was quickly shut down and removed, it is uncertain whether other actors accessed the information before it was blocked.
The risk remains: with that many accounts exposed, the data is likely to be used for fraud, phishing or more complex cyberattacks.
Conclusion
This finding is a clear reminder that a data breach not only affects ordinary users, but also government entities. In Mexico, this type of situation should be taken as a warning to reinforce digital security policies and train organizations on the importance of protecting sensitive information.
At Cyberpeace, we recommend staying informed about cybersecurity issues and other digital threats. Prevention and knowledge are your best allies to protect your online identity. Interested in learning more about cybersecurity and digital privacy? Follow our networks and stay informed.
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