Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Davey Winder is a veteran cybersecurity writer, hacker and analyst. Update, Jan. 17, 2025: This story, originally published Jan.

Update, August 5, 2025: This story, originally published on August 3, has been updated with further mitigation advice as well as a new report regarding phishing and credential theft trends as Google ...

Google’s databases got hacked, and now 2.5 billion Gmail users are at risk. Hackers from a group called ShinyHunters managed to get access to Google’s Salesforce database systems. 2.5 billion Gmail ...

Hackers called ShinyHunters broke into a major Google database in June by tricking a Google employee into giving login details. The database was managed through Salesforce’s cloud platform, which ...

Gmail, Facebook, and Apple passwords have been leaked in a massive breach, according to a new report. More than 30 databases have reportedly been stolen, with 16 billion passwords exposed. Some ...