Azerbaijan alerts citizens: Massive global personal data breach underway

Azerbaijan's State Service for Special Communication and Information Security has issued a warning to citizens, urging vigilance and strict adherence to cyber hygiene rules.

According to Report, which cites leading global cybersecurity sources, the Service expressed serious concern about the illegal online dissemination of a huge database containing approximately 16 billion usernames and passwords.

This incident is considered one of the largest data leaks ever recorded in cyberspace. The database includes user data not only from widely used platforms such as Apple, Google, Facebook, GitHub, and Telegram, but also from various social networks, VPN services, and government agencies.

"These data were collected using numerous malware programs (‘infostealers’), most of which have been detected publicly for the first time," the agency noted. The State Service for Special Communication and Information Security recommends citizens to be cautious, use antivirus software, avoid clicking on suspicious links to protect against cyberattacks, and report fake domains to the platform "blacklist.gov.az" to ensure reliable protection against growing cyber threats and strengthen personal cyber hygiene.