ChatGPT Accounts Compromised: India and Pakistan Among the Hardest Hit
Recent events have sparked concern over the security of ChatGPT, one of the most widely used applications on the internet. Reports indicate that hundreds of thousands of ChatGPT accounts have been compromised, with India and Pakistan being the most affected.
According to cybersecurity firm Group-IB’s latest report, more than 100,000 ChatGPT credentials have surfaced on underground online marketplaces between June 2022 and May 2023. Group-IB’s investigation revealed a total of 101,134 infected devices containing stolen ChatGPT credentials.
The Asia Pacific region experienced the highest number of compromised ChatGPT accounts, accounting for 40.5% of the incidents during the specified period. The Middle East and Africa ranked second with 24,925 instances, followed by Europe with 16,951 incidents.
India topped the list of affected countries, with 12,632 compromised ChatGPT credentials. Pakistan closely followed with 9,217 compromised accounts, while Brazil reported 6,531 instances. Bangladesh had the fewest reported cases, with 2,463 compromised accounts.
Info stealers, a category of malicious software, were responsible for these compromises. They collect sensitive information from web browsers, instant messaging applications, emails, and more. This malware operates indiscriminately, infecting multiple computers through phishing and other techniques to gather data.
To mitigate the risks associated with compromised ChatGPT accounts, Group-IB advises users to take precautions. This includes regularly updating passwords and implementing two-factor authentication (2FA). Enabling 2FA adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide a verification code, typically sent to their mobile devices, before accessing their ChatGPT accounts.
