2.8 Billion Reasons to Be Concerned: The X Data Breach?

In January 2025, a significant data breach occurred, exposing approximately 400GB of information related to 2.8 billion users of Twitter (now X). The breach, which was made public on January 23, 2025, is confirmed to include real data, with no emails, phone numbers, or passwords disclosed, though there is speculation that this information could have been part of the breach but not leaked. A key point of discussion centers around Twitter's user count. While the publicized number of users typically hovers around 600 million, the dataset's 2.8 billion accounts are plausible, as companies often report Monthly Active Users (MAU), not total registered users, which reconciles the discrepancy.

Verification of the dataset's legitimacy involved checking a random sample of user IDs and matching them with Twitter's current database. Over 90% of the IDs corresponded with existing Twitter accounts. Further checks for other data points, such as user status and historical activity, indicated the dataset’s authenticity.

The origins of the breach are unclear, but it is suspected to be an inside job, possibly linked to a disgruntled ex-employee or an extensive hack. The breach's timing, combined with a brief, cryptic message in the release, hints at a connection to broader political events and potential dissatisfaction with corporate changes, such as mass layoffs at Twitter.

The breach, if it involved sensitive information like phone numbers, emails, or passwords, could be one of the largest social media breaches in history by user count. Despite multiple attempts to notify Twitter about the breach, there has been no response, raising concerns about the company's awareness and response to this significant security incident.

Today, a threat actor published a very detailed analysis of Twitter data...Very structured and thoughtful

#overwatch #Twitter #X #Insider