Google is once again disputing Gmail was breached

Google has again come under fire for allegedly breaching Gmail accounts, sparking a familiar debate over the company's claims of security breaches. In a recent incident, numerous news outlets reported that 183 million passwords had been compromised, sparking concerns among users.

In response to these allegations, Google posted on X, stating that the claimed breach was false. According to the tech giant, the listed accounts are likely not victims of an attack but rather new additions to the Have I Been Pwned database, a free resource that scans for hacked personal data.

Troy Hunt, creator of HIBP (Have I Been Pwned), explained in his blog post that over 90 percent of stolen credentials have been seen before and are therefore not new. However, about 16.4 million addresses were showing up for the first time in a data breach, according to Hunt.

Google defended its stance, saying that reports of the alleged breach were "false" and stating that Gmail's defenses remain strong, protecting users from security breaches. The company attributed the misunderstanding to infostealer databases compiling various credential theft activities across the web, which is not indicative of a new attack on any particular person or platform.

The incident highlights the ongoing concern over password security, with Google advising users to turn on 2-step verification and adopt passkeys as more secure alternatives than using passwords alone. The company also recommended that users reset their passwords immediately if compromised.

the whole thing is so frustrating ... like google's all up front about saying its not a breach but then theres this huge list of leaked passwords that basically proves otherwise... its hard to know what to believe, ya feel? i mean on one hand google's got some good points about the have i been pwned database and how most of those credentials are old news, but at the same time they're not really acknowledging just how vulnerable their systems might be

Ugh this is getting old . I mean I get it, password breaches are a real thing and Google's got some explaining to do . But come on, 183 million passwords compromised? That's a lot of folks' login info . And now Google's saying that most of those passwords were just lying around in some database, waiting to be used by hackers .

I'm not buying it (no pun intended) . The fact is, password breaches are on the rise and we need to take them seriously . The experts, like Troy Hunt, have been warning us about this for years . And now Google's coming in with some half-baked explanation that's got no one convinced .

Look, I'm not asking for perfection here . But a little more transparency from Google would be nice . Maybe they could explain what exactly happened and how it's going to happen again (spoiler alert: probably) . The bottom line is, we need better password security and Google needs to step up its game .

OMG, have you tried those new plant-based milk alternatives? I mean, I know they're supposed to be better for the environment and all that , but honestly, I still prefer my old fave oat milk... anyway, back to this whole Google thing... isn't it weird how passwords just kinda get leaked everywhere? Like, what's up with that? And don't even get me started on those password managers... do they even work?

I swear, I had a great idea for a new recipe last night and now I totally forgot it . Anyway, back to Google... if 90% of the passwords are old news, that's kinda reassuring, right? But what about those 16.4 million addresses showing up for the first time? That still gives me major anxiety .

You know what would be awesome? If we could just use a single, universal password manager for all our devices and accounts... just think of the convenience! But, I guess that's a whole different conversation altogether .

I'm getting a bit tired of these password breaches and how easily they're happening I mean, 183 million passwords compromised? That's just crazy. Google saying it's all false, but I don't know... how can you trust them when they've been caught doing this before?

Troy Hunt is like the hero here, though. At least he's being transparent about what's going on. But still, shouldn't Google be more proactive in protecting our info? It feels like they're just brushing it off and telling us to do their work for them . And don't even get me started on the whole 2-step verification thing... I mean, isn't that just a fancy way of saying "you need to be more tech-savvy"?

I guess what really bothers me is how these breaches happen in the first place. Can we just have a system where our passwords are automatically changed for us? Like, for real? It feels like no matter what Google or anyone else does, there's always gonna be some way for hackers to get their hands on our info

Ugh I'm so done with Google's PR machine right now Like come on guys, can't you just own up to your mistakes for once? They're always dodging and weaving when it comes to security breaches and it's getting old. 183 million passwords compromised? Are you kidding me?! That's a whole lotta people's sensitive info being put out there like trash.

And now they're claiming that the breach is just some new data in the Have I Been Pwned database? Give me a break! That explanation sounds like something a company would come up with to save face, not a honest attempt at transparency. And Troy Hunt's explanation about 90% of stolen credentials being seen before and only 16.4 million showing up for the first time is all well and good, but that doesn't make Google look any better.

The thing is, people need to take responsibility for their own password security, like Google is saying. Turn on 2-step verification, adopt passkeys, reset those passwords ASAP... it's not rocket science! But no, instead of being proactive about this, Google is just telling users to "trust" them and that they're doing everything they can to keep their info safe. Sorry, but trust doesn't come easily when you've been caught in a breach before .

ummm this just got old... like every year google's security is always in question and honestly who can blame them? the internet is a wild place and these huge companies are just trying to keep up, but it's getting to the point where you have to wonder how they're even doing it. like, 183 million passwords compromised is crazy talk! but at the same time i'm not surprised... we all know our passwords aren't that secure anyway and 2-step verification just isn't always practical for everyone. google's stance on this one feels a bit dodgy though but honestly i think it's time for us to just take responsibility for our own security, not rely on the companies to keep us safe all the time

Wow just how many times does Google have to be hacked for them to get their security act together? 183 million passwords compromised is insane... and now they're saying those are from the Have I Been Pwned database? Interesting, but it doesn't change the fact that users are getting hit with a ton of new login attempts after trying a password that's already been used.

Ugh, Google is at it again ... I mean, what's the point of even having a password breach service like HIBP if they're just gonna be used to sweep up credentials from old attacks? It sounds super fishy to me that 183 million passwords were supposedly compromised and now are showing up in this database. Like, how convenient for Google? And don't even get me started on Google's response, it's just a PR stunt ... Troy Hunt is right, most of these credentials have been seen before, so why are they adding them to the database again? It's all about playing defense while ignoring the real issue – password security.

I'm not buying Google's explanation for this breach... like, come on, 183 million passwords is a LOT to just be attributed to new data being added to a database . And what's with the "false" label? Hasn't Google been in breach situations before and gotten away with it?

Meanwhile, I'm still thinking about all those poor users whose info got compromised... turning on 2-step verification and passkeys is just common sense, Google! How hard can that be to use ? And reset passwords immediately if they get breached? Yeah right, like that's always gonna happen . I mean, we know passwords are a security risk anyway, but it feels like Google's not taking this as seriously as it should be

Ugh I'm so done with these breaches 183 million passwords? That's crazy! I mean I know we're all guilty of reusing passwords or something, but come on Google can't protect us enough. And now they're saying it's not even a breach because some of those accounts were just added to the Have I Been Pwned database... yeah sure . It sounds like they're just trying to cover their own behinds. We need better security measures, like 2-step verification and passkeys for real! And can't we all just use a password manager already? This is getting old .

google's security is like a joke man... first they claim their security is fine, then they get breached 183 million passwords compromised? that's wild i mean what's the point of having a password manager when you're just gonna use some random number generator anyway?

anyway, the fact that 90% of those credentials were seen before is kinda reassuring i guess? but still, who wants to be part of that 16.4 million new ones i mean, can't they just make a better password manager or something?

i think google's advice on 2-step verification and passkeys is legit tho those are some solid security measures... we should all start using them ASAP