Russian Hackers Steal 1.2 Bln Passwords

Russian hackers have stolen 1.2 billion Internet credentials from companies around the world in what is likely the biggest data breach ever.

The US firm Hold Security said the gang which it dubbed "CyberVor" collected confidential user names and passwords were stolen from some 420,000 websites, ranging from household names to small Internet sites.

The security firm, which specializes in research on large data breaches, said on its website the cybergang acquired databases of stolen credentials from fellow hackers on the black market, and then installed malware that allowed them to gain access to many websites and social media accounts.

The New York Times first reported the breach, and said the group of hackers based their operation in south central Russia, a flanked by Kazakhstan and Mongolia.