Gmail Wasn't Hacked But You Still Could Be Vulnerable

Millions of usernames and passwords were leaked online.

ByABC News
September 11, 2014, 12:32 PM

— -- Millions of leaked email passwords purported to be from Gmail accounts were likely collected over time from outside sources -- such as phishing scams and hacked websites -- and have affected a very small number of users, according to Google.

The company said in a blog post it had "identified several lists claiming to contain Google and other Internet providers' credentials" but that less than 2 percent of the combinations worked.

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"Our automated anti-hijacking systems would have blocked many of those login attempts," Google said in the blog post. "We’ve protected the affected accounts and have required those users to reset their passwords."

Google said the leaked information was not the result of a Gmail breach but was likely instead harvested over time from various sources, including malware like phishing scams.

It's still a good idea to check-in and make sure your password is strong and unique to your Gmail account.

Google said it also recommends turning on two step verification, which requires a second device to verify a user's identity when they log on from somewhere new.