A report published in the Daily Mail on January 28, 2024 claimed that there was a data leak of 26 billion records. The leak was said to include user information from major companies such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Dropbox.

However, these claims were quickly denied. The information in the Daily Mail's news was taken from a previously published report. This report was about a data leak in 2017.

This error by Daily Mail increased concerns about major data leaks. However, it should not be forgotten that such claims are not always true and should not be shared without research.

Source of New:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-12992157/amp/Huge-data-leak-dubbed-Mother-Breaches-sees-26-BILLION-records-leaked-sites-including-Twitter-Linkedin-Dropbox-heres-check-youve-affected.html

Evidence that the news is a lie

• The news claimed that the leak contained 26 billion records. However, the previously published report stated that the leak contained 1.9 billion records.
• The news claimed that the leak included user information from large companies such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Dropbox. However, the previously published report stated that the leak only included user information from Twitter.
• The news claimed that the leak took place in 2024. However, the previously published report proved that the leak took place in 2017.

Twitter statement proving these results:

“1.9 billion records were stolen from Twitter in 2017. These records included users' email addresses, usernames, and passwords. The leak occurred due to a security vulnerability, and Twitter managed to close the vulnerability in a short time.

Our users affected by the leak were warned to change their e-mail addresses and passwords. Additionally, our users can take a number of measures to strengthen their accounts. “These precautions include using a strong password, using two-factor authentication, and checking your account regularly.”

Precautions that can be taken for leaks:

Precautions that can be taken by companies to prevent data leakage are:

• Creating a strong security infrastructure: Companies should create a strong security infrastructure to ensure data security. 
• Identifying and closing vulnerabilities: Companies should conduct regular security scans to detect and close vulnerabilities.
• Training staff: Companies should train their staff on data security.

Precautions that can be taken to prevent data leakage for users:

• Using a strong password: Passwords must be at least 12 characters long and contain upper/lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.
• Using two-factor authentication: Two-factor authentication will help make accounts more secure.
• Checking accounts regularly: Users should check their accounts regularly for suspicious activity.