Hackers In Russia Have Stolen More Than A Billion Usernames And Passwords

A Russian gang is said to have stolen more than one billion internet credentials, possibly making it the biggest heist of its kind, according to a new report from The New York Times.

Milwaukee-based security firm Hold Security discovered records of this criminal activity, the Times reports.

The records included confidential material from 420,000 websites, such as 1.2 billion username and password combinations and more than 500 million email addresses.

These attacks are said to have ranged from small websites to large companies, and websites inside Russia have also been attacked. The criminals behind the attacks have not sold any of the information online, but appear to be using the credentials to spread spam. The hackers aren't believed to be connected to the Russian government.

This hacking ring is based in south central Russia, according to The Times, and consists of fewer than a dozen men in their 20s. The hackers began as amateur spammers in 2011, but could have partnered with a larger entity since.

Russian hackers have been using botnets to extract this type of information on a massive scale, the Times reports.

We've reached out to Hold Security and a few cyber security experts to discuss this situation in greater detail. We'll update this story accordingly when we hear back.