Your passwords didn’t just appear on the dark web by magic. Here's how hackers actually steal and leak data.
One of the most common methods. These lightweight programs silently run on infected devices and extract browser-stored passwords, cookies, autofill data, and more. Victims usually don’t even notice.
Fake login pages trick users into giving away credentials. Phishing is cheap, scalable, and extremely effective—especially when combined with social engineering.
Hackers directly break into online services, stealing entire user databases. Even major platforms like LinkedIn, Adobe, Dropbox, and Facebook have been breached over the years.
Employees or contractors with access to internal systems may leak data deliberately or accidentally—selling credentials, copying logs, or uploading files to public forums.
Hackers and dark web traders combine multiple leaks from past years into massive collections. The June 2025 leak was a curated combo of over 30 sources, organized for easy use.