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Instagram Data Breach Alert: Details of 17.5 Million Accounts Allegedly Leaked
According to recent reports, data from approximately 17.5 million Instagram accounts has been leaked. Users are receiving unsolicited password reset emails, which cyber experts are calling an attempt to hack accounts. These emails appear genuine, making it easy for users to be misled. Exercise caution when receiving such messages and enable two-factor authentication to keep your account secure.
If you are an Instagram user, beware. Recent reports have shown that the data from 17.5 million, or approximately 17.5 million, Instagram user profiles has leaked. Since the recent leak in user data, many users are now being sent notifications asking them to change their passwords. If you are sent an unexpected password request, watch out.
According to cybersecurity experts, this is directly linked to account hacking, where users are being misled, and attempts are being made to gain control of their accounts. The key thing is that the emails sent in these cases appear completely genuine and appear to come from Instagram's official ID, making it easy for users to fall for this scam. Let's explore this issue in more detail.
According to media reports, data on 17.5 million Instagram accounts is available on an online platform called BreachForums. Following this, hackers have adopted a new method, known as a password reset attack. In this method, hackers don't directly attempt to change your account password, but instead send a password reset request through Instagram.
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When this email reaches the user, they are misled into thinking it is a real Instagram account security warning and proceed to click on the password reset button. This results in putting their account in danger as hackers end up taking full control of it.
If you didn’t send the pocket change password request yourself, you can probably ignore this email altogether. You can also enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to make your account even more secure. With this feature enabled, even if a hacker gets your password, they'll still have to pass an extra security check before logging into your account.
