Million Passwords Hacked Stolen from Top Global Websites like Facebook, Yahoo

BOSTON - Security experts have uncovered a trove of some 2 million stolen passwords to websites encompassing Facebook, Google, Twitter and Yahoo from Internet users over the globe. Investigators with Trustwave's SpiderLabs said they found out the credentials while enquiring a server in the Netherlands that cyber criminals use to command a huge network of compromised computers renowned as the "Pony botnet."

The business notified Reuters on Wednesday that it has described its outcome to the biggest of more than 90,000 websites and Internet service providers whose customers' credentials it had discovered on the server. The facts and figures encompasses more than 326,000 Facebook Inc accounts, more than 59,000 Yahoo Inc anecdotes and almost 22,000 Twitter Inc anecdotes, according to SpiderLabs. Victims' were from the United States, Germany, Singapore and Thailand, amidst other countries.

Representatives for Facebook and Twitter said the businesses have reset the passwords of influenced users. A Google spokeswoman turned down commentary. Yahoo representatives could not be come to.

SpiderLabs said it has communicated administration in the Netherlands and inquired them to take down the Pony botnet server.

An investigation dispatched on the SpiderLabs blog displayed that the most-common password in the set was "123456," which was used in nearly 16,000 anecdotes. Other routinely used credentials encompassed "password," "admin," "123" and "1." (bit.ly/1g6hfJZ)

Graham Cluley, an unaligned security expert, said it is exceedingly widespread for persons to use such easy passwords and furthermore re-use them on multiple accounts, even though they are exceedingly very simple to chink.

"People are utilising very dumb passwords. They are totally useless," he said.