The personal data of half a billion Facebook users was posted for free on a popular hacking forum last week. Cybersecurity experts warn that hackers can easily exploit this data to commit fraud or craft social engineering attacks, where attackers manipulate unsuspecting users into handing over sensitive data or downloading malicious software.
Here is what you need to know about the breach
- The personal information of 533 million Facebook users was leaked online, including the records of more than 32 million accounts in the United States.
- The data was collected in 2019 and includes phone numbers, full names, birthdays, biographical information and, in some cases, email addresses.
- If your data was compromised, you should be extra cautious of phishing emails, SMS text scams, and spam calls.
How to check if your data was exposed in the Facebook data leak
To check if the Facebook breach included your information, visit Have I Been Pwned and enter your email address or phone number in the search field and click the pwned? button. If your data was compromised in the Facebook breach you will see the following message:
It’s worth noting that phone numbers were the most common user field leaked in the recent Facebook breach, so we recommend checking both your phone number and email address.
This massive breach serves as a reminder of how much data Facebook and similar companies collect on users and how often these corporations struggle to protect that information.
