An alleged Russian hacker has posted a list of close to five million Google account login credentials on the web. The list was posted on a bitcoin forum by a user going by the online identify, Tvski.
This has consequently raised concerns over the effectiveness of the security features Google employs to secure user accounts.
The leak of username and password combinations prompted Google to publish a statement on its official blog stating that it was investigating the incident in order to secure users.
“We found that less than 2 per cent of the username and password combinations might have worked, and our automated anti-hijacking systems would have blocked many of those login attempts. We’ve protected the affected accounts and have required those users to reset their passwords,” the statement read.
However while speaking to CNN, Google spokesperson Caroline Mathews denied that their systems had not been compromised.
"We have no evidence that our systems have been compromised," she said.
The Internet giant has also published advice on securing Google accounts and urged users to employ to use strong passwords unique to Google services only.
“Update your recovery options so we can reach you by phone or email if you get locked out of your account. And consider the 2-step verification, which adds an extra layer of security to your account,” Google advised.
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