Dawn
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17:38 May 26, 2025
The National Cyber Emergency Response Team (PKCERT) on Monday issued an advisory warning that the login credentials and passwords of more than 180 million internet users in Pakistan have been stolen in a global data breach, urging people to take immediate protective measures. According to the advisory, seen by Dawn.com, PKCERT identified the global breach involving a publicly accessible, unencrypted file containing more than 184 million unique account credentials. “The breach exposed usernames, passwords, emails and associated URLs tied to services from Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Instagram [and] Snapchat, as well as government portals, banking institutions, and healthcare platforms worldwide,” the advisory read. “The leaked database is believed to have been compiled using infostealer malware — malicious software that extracts sensitive information from compromised systems,” it added. “This data was stored in plain text and left completely unprotected, with no encryption or password safeguarding.” PKC...