When a data breach hits billions, it’s not just noise, its history being made.  

This behemoth of a data breach has been called the mother of all breaches (MOAB). And yes, your personal data might be in it. 

What is a data breach, and what happened? 

A data breach is a security incident  that has affected the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of personal data.  

During the incident labelled “the mother of all breaches”, researchers uncovered 16 billion records, scraped from thousands of past leaks, all bundled neatly into one dark-web-ready file. 

We’re talking data from: 

• LinkedIn 

• Dropbox 

• X 

• Adobe 

• Telegram 

• Government sites 

• Corporate platforms 

Old leaks, yes, but centralised and searchable, which makes it very hacker friendly. 

Why should you care about a data breach? 

Because hackers love convenience. 

This leak makes: 

• Credential stuffing easy 

• Reused passwords a major liability 

• Phishing scams feel scarily personal 

One weak link and they’re in, even if the breach was five years ago. 

How to check if you’re affected by a data breach 

Use Have I Been Pwned (a free, trusted tool from Troy Hunt). Punch in your email. It’ll show if your data’s floating around out there. 

See something? No need to panic. Just act. 

What to do if you’ve had a data breach 

Start with these five things: 

1. Change reused passwords 

1. Use a password manager (e.g. Keeper) 

1. Turn on MFA everywhere you can 

1. Watch for phishing emails, urgent tones, and suspicious links 

1. Close or update old, unused accounts 

If You’re a Small Business:

Now’s a good time to: 

• Audit who has access to what, and audit your existing cybersecurity protocols. 

• Enforce MFA (not just suggest it) 

• Train your team on phishing and password hygiene 

• Check if your IT provider’s actively monitoring threats 

At PKF Infuse, we help teams build real-world security that people will actually use, because if it’s clunky, people work around it (and that’s where the problems start). 

Final thoughts 

Yes, the MOAB breach is a remix of old leaks, but the scale and convenience make it dangerous. Hackers don’t need new data, they just need better-organised old data.  

If you want help reviewing your setup, get in touch with us for expert cybersecurity advice that actually makes sense.