Google says your Gmail wasn’t hacked — but maybe check anyway, as the internet’s not buying it after 183M accounts were allegedly breached

by

A major data breach has exposed around 183 million email addresses and passwords. However, reports have caused some confusion. The issue started when Troy Hunt, who runs the website ‘Have I Been Pwned,’ announced he’d added a large collection of 183 million unique email and password combinations to his database – including some linked to Gmail accounts.

This data wasn’t obtained through a single hack of Gmail. It was gathered from various sources, including malware that steals usernames and passwords from infected computers, as well as information found on the dark web, social media, and platforms like Tor and Telegram. Essentially, Gmail itself wasn’t hacked, but many news reports incorrectly stated that it was.

The 183 million Gmail password leak: what really happened

Ben, a U.S. college student specializing in threat intelligence, provided the dataset to Have I Been Pwned. He gathers information about data breaches from various sources – including hacked devices, online discussions, and the dark web – and processes millions of usernames and passwords daily.

We had a total of 3.5 terabytes of data, which included about 23 billion individual entries. This data fell into two main categories:

  • Stealer logs, which are credentials captured directly from malware running on infected computers.
  • Credential-stuffing lists, which are username and password combinations gathered from previous breaches and reused elsewhere.

To check the data’s originality, Troy Hunt used programs to see how much of it was already known from previous data breaches on Have I Been Pwned. He found that out of a sample of 94,000 email addresses, 92% had appeared in older leaks – meaning it was mostly data that had been exposed before. Still, around 16 million addresses were new and hadn’t been seen in any previous breaches.

The reports of a data breach probably started because people saw Gmail addresses listed alongside passwords and mistakenly thought Gmail had been hacked. This quickly spread online and in the news, causing worry among users who feared their accounts were compromised.

How to check if your Gmail and Email accounts are safe

If you’re worried about your personal information being exposed online, you can check if your email address has been involved in any data breaches by visiting Have I Been Pwned. Just enter your Gmail address or any other email, and the site will let you know if your information has been compromised and where.

If your account is involved in a data breach, change your password right away. Create a new password that’s strong and hasn’t been used anywhere else. Although it takes effort, using a unique password for each of your accounts is a really effective security measure.

For better security, turn on two-factor authentication for your Gmail and any other accounts that offer it. This adds an extra layer of protection – even if someone gets your password, they still need a code from your phone or another device to get in.

To help manage all your accounts, consider using a password manager. Options include Google’s built-in manager, Microsoft Edge’s, or dedicated tools like 1Password and Bitwarden. These tools not only create strong, unique passwords for you, but also alert you if any of your passwords are compromised in a data breach. It’s a simple way to improve your security without having to remember countless passwords.

FAQ

Was Gmail actually hacked in 2025?

Gmail wasn’t hacked. The recent concern began when a website called Have I Been Pwned published a list of 183 million email addresses and passwords, including many used with Gmail. But this data came from old leaks and malware that steals login information, not from a hack of Google itself.

So why is everyone freaking out?

The data breach was significant because it exposed Gmail logins for a huge number of people – 183 million in total. While much of the information had been previously compromised, around 16.4 million usernames and passwords were newly exposed.

Should I change my Gmail password?

Definitely, particularly if you use the same password for your Gmail account and other websites. This is important even if your Gmail account itself wasn’t hacked.

What is Have I Been Pwned?

Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) is a free website created by cybersecurity professional Troy Hunt that allows you to see if your email address or passwords have been compromised in a data breach.

Why did Google respond so strongly?

This is the second time in just two months they’ve had to dismiss reports of a major Gmail security breach. The media continues to report these incidents, even when the claims aren’t actually true.

What should I do now?

Protect your online accounts by checking if your email address has been involved in data breaches on HaveIBeenPwned. Also, turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) and avoid using the same password for multiple accounts. While Google claims its systems are safe, stolen usernames and passwords remain a significant risk.

Read More

2025-10-30 16:41