Stop Using Your Password — 800 Million Stolen Passwords Listed Online
Five infostealers have published hundreds of millions of passwords online, leaving a staggering 800 million stolen credentials exposed to hackers. The latest reports from IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index reveal an alarming increase in the number of infostealer malware deliveries through phishing emails and other attack vectors.
The threat landscape has never been more dire. With the rise of infostealer malware, threat actors are no longer breaking into systems; they're logging in. This is made possible by the readily available lists of compromised credentials on criminal forums and the increasing popularity of infostealers being delivered through phishing emails. In fact, according to IBM X-Force, there has been an 84% increase in infostealer deliveries per week since April 2023.
The culprit behind this alarming trend is not just the phishing tactics but also other increasingly popular attack vectors like SEO poisoning, Google Ads, drive-by attacks, and software supply chain compromises. Early data for 2025 revealed a staggering 180% increase in infostealer deliveries compared to 2023, with attackers leveraging AI to create phishing emails at scale.
The Consequences of Compromised Passwords
These lists of stolen passwords are not just idle threats; they're incredibly effective. In 2024, the X-Force report confirmed that eight million adverts on the dark web and in criminal forums contained lists of hundreds of stolen credentials, representing at least 800 million passwords listed online.
This is a stark reminder that even with two-factor authentication added to your login credentials, you're still not safe. 2FA bypass attacks using attacker-in-the-middle and session cookie stealing tactics can weaken this defense. The good news is that there's a solution: stop using passwords and switch to passkeys instead.
A New Era in Password Security
Passkeys were launched as part of an initiative by Apple, Google, and Microsoft to effectively consumerize solid enterprise security authentication standards like FIDO and WebAuthn. A Google spokesperson revealed that internal research has shown security keys provide a stronger protection against automated bots, bulk phishing attacks, and targeted attacks than traditional two-factor authentication.
Microsoft's spokesperson echoed this message, recommending the switch to Passkeys wherever possible. "We recommend using authentication apps like Microsoft Authenticator," which warn users about potential phishing attempts.
How Do Passkeys Work?
A passkey consists of two keys: a unique public key stored on your company's server and a private key stored on your device. The public key is used to create a challenge that can only be solved by the private key. This makes passkeys nearly impossible for hackers to guess or intercept because the keys are randomly generated and never shared during the sign-in process.
Passkey security in a nutshell:
* Passkeys provide stronger protection against automated bots, bulk phishing attacks, and targeted attacks. * They're created on one device but synced across all others and tied to your account rather than any single lost device. * Losing a passkey doesn't mean losing access; you can simply sign into your passkey provider to recover it on another device.
Try Passkeys Today
Visit Passkeys.io to try a simple passkey demonstration and see for yourself just how easy they are to use. Don't wait until it's too late – switch to passkeys today and take control of your password security.