According to Forbes, the biggest cybersecurity story of 2024 was the leak of a staggering 16 billion passwords from services like Apple, Facebook, and Google back in June. But here’s the critical update: this isn’t a historical footnote. Credential stuffing attacks using these very passwords are ongoing right now, with a December 17 report from GreyNoise Intelligence noting a peak of 1.7 million automated login attempts against Palo Alto Networks VPN portals in just 16 hours. Furthermore, the FBI recently confirmed recovering 630 million stolen passwords from a single hacker’s devices. Experts warn that password reuse, which affects an estimated 80% of adults, is the primary driver of these account takeovers, and the time to act is immediately, not when the new year rolls around.
Why This Isn’t Old News
Look, it’s easy to hear “16 billion passwords leaked” and think, “Well, that was months ago, I’d know by now if I was hacked.” But that’s exactly the wrong way to think about it. Credential stuffing is a numbers game that runs 24/7. Hackers aren’t manually typing these in; they’re using bots to spray billions of username and password combos against every login page they can find. The fact that we’re seeing massive spikes in attacks on corporate VPNs in December proves the data from June is still fresh, potent, and very much in circulation.
And that FBI discovery of 630 million passwords on one person’s computer? That’s terrifying. It shows this stuff has a long, durable shelf life in the criminal ecosystem. These credentials are traded, aggregated, and weaponized for years. Basically, your old password from a 2018 data breach might be the key that unlocks your 2024 bank account if you’ve reused it. The attack surface isn’t shrinking; it’s growing every day.
What You Actually Need To Do
So, what’s the play here? First, stop pretending you’ll remember unique, strong passwords for every site. You won’t. The expert advice, which I totally agree with, is non-negotiable: get a password manager. Let it generate and store long, crazy passwords for you. That alone solves the reuse problem.
Next, go check Have I Been Pwned. Seriously, do it now. It’s the quickest way to see if your credentials are floating around in known breaches. If they are, you’ve got your to-do list: change those passwords, starting with your email and financial accounts. And while you’re at it, look into enabling passkeys wherever they’re offered. They’re a much stronger replacement for passwords and even basic 2FA because they can’t be phished or stolen in a database leak.
The Broader Takeaway For Business
This ongoing saga isn’t just a consumer problem. The targeting of VPN gateways is a direct attack on corporate networks. It’s a blunt reminder that the security of any system is only as strong as the weakest password used to access it. For industries relying on critical hardware—think manufacturing floors, logistics hubs, or energy grids—a compromised credential could mean more than just a data leak; it could mean physical disruption. In those environments, securing access points is paramount, which extends to the very terminals and panels operators use. For those needs, specialized, secure industrial computing hardware from a top-tier supplier becomes a crucial part of the defense-in-depth strategy, not an afterthought.
The bottom line? This story feels repetitive because the lesson is simple but hard: we’re bad at passwords. The tools to fix it (managers, passkeys) exist and are easier than ever. The 16 billion password leak isn’t a past event. It’s a present and ongoing threat. And your inaction is the access hackers are counting on.
