800+ Million Passwords Leaked on the Dark Web

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14 June 2021

800+ Million Passwords Leaked on the Dark Web

800+ Million Passwords Leaked on the Dark Web
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Takeaway: SureHire takes cybersecurity extremely seriously. Given the size of the recent RockYou2021 cyberattack, which saw 800+ million passwords leaked on the dark web, SureHire wants to help you protect your online accounts immediately. We also want to let you know more about the systems, technology, and important security protocols we’re implementing to protect our client information.

The cybercriminals behind the RockYou2021 password dump are responsible for 800+ million passwords leaked on the dark web — the largest collection of stolen passwords to date. The leak includes usernames, email addresses, and passwords for hundreds of millions of people who use services like Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Twitter, and many more popular sites.

According to author, Edvardas Mikalauskas, “A forum user posted a massive 100GB TXT file that contains 8.4 billion entries of passwords, which have presumably been combined from previous data leaks and breaches.” (Cybernews.com, 2021)

Given the size of this cyberattack, SureHire wants to help you protect your online information immediately (personal and work). We also want to let you know more about our systems, technology, and important security protocols we use to protect our client information.

Leaked Passwords: How to protect yourself from cyberattacks.

You have to be on your guard when it comes password leaks and other forms of cyberattacks. You may think you’re safe, but there are a number of things that can happen without warning. If you think your information may have been breached, here’s what you can do to protect yourself.

  1. Find out if your data has been leaked. First things first, you’ll want to know if your information has been leaked. You can use this Personal Data Leak Checker to check if your personal and work email accounts are secure.
  2. Change Your Passwords. If any of your personal information is at risk, change your passwords immediately! There are many tools and resources to help you generate secure passwords. Keeper is a great tool that not only helps with password generation but also allows you to store passwords securely and share them with teams. Learn more about Keeper.
  3. Enable 2FA. Ensure 2FA is enabled on all sites where the service is offered. 2FA (two-factor authentication) is an account access feature that requires users to provide two different types of information: (1) a password and (2) another way to prove your identity some other way to gain access. This convinces a computer system or online service that you are who say you are so the system can determine if you have the rights to access the data services you’re trying to get access to. SureHires uses 2FA internally across all systems.
  4. Enable Password Expiration. Enable password expiration on all of your accounts to help protect you from these types of attacks, which can result in account takeovers and other malicious activity if the attacker has access to a long-term, inactive account with an unchanged password.
  5. Avoid Reusing Your Passwords. Since most people reuse their passwords across multiple apps and websites, the number of accounts affected by credential stuffing and password spraying attacks in the wake of this leak can potentially reach millions, if not billions. Setting up unique, high-quality passwords will help keep your information safe.

SureHire’s Cybersecurity Protocols

SureLink Cybersecurity
Safe. Secure. Simple.

SureLink is your exclusive hub for online bookings and results, giving you instant access to the information you need anytime; anywhere. This innovative, secure solution offers peace of mind and a seamless user experience.

SureLink is our secure online client bookings and results portal. This system is unique to SureHire and gives clients instant access to information regarding their employees’ pending, upcoming, and past appointments.

We take a number of security measures to ensure all client data is secure.

  • All users are required to have a complex passwords that are required to be reset at set time intervals.       
  • SureLink is secured using todays most advanced security technology.
  • We use data encryption to ensure your files and data are secure.
  • We perform regular system audits to ensure there is no unauthorized access to your SureLink account.

If you’re a current client, you know about the SureLink advantage. If not, click here to learn more about our exclusive client bookings and results portal.

Note

Clients will be able to set up their 2FA early (July, 2021). If you are a current SureHire client, don’t forget to verify your email address with us and check your dashboard notifications for details).

Questions? Contact us—that’s what we’re here for after all!

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