57m cookies from Irish users flood dark web, finds NordVPN

‘Cookies may seem harmless, but in the wrong hands, they’re digital keys to our most private information,’ says a NordVPN cyber expert.

NordVPN, a popular virtual private network provider, has reportedly discovered nearly 94bn cookies leaked on the dark web.

More than 57m of those were from Irish users, with 4.7m cookies still active. This ranks Ireland at 117th out of 253 countries that NordVPN investigated regarding this issue.

Cookies are small files of user information that a web browser stores. These files include login details and browser behaviour. Basically, cookies “remember” a user’s preferences on a website to ensure a smoother experience.

“Cookies may seem harmless, but in the wrong hands, they’re digital keys to our most private information,” said Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN.

“What was designed to enhance convenience is now a growing vulnerability exploited by cybercriminals worldwide.

“Most people don’t realise that a stolen cookie can be just as dangerous as a password. Once intercepted, a cookie can give hackers direct access to accounts and sensitive data, no login required,” he added.

According to NordVPN, a massive malware operation stole nearly 94bn cookies, a steep 74pc jump from the 54bn a year ago.

More concerningly, 20.5pc of these cookies are still active, meaning they pose an ongoing risk to user privacy worldwide.

Most of these stolen cookies came from major, popular platforms, including 4.5bn from Google and 1.3bn from YouTube, with Brazil, India and the US being some of the most affected countries.

Personal data exposure on the internet is growing, said NordVPN. In 2024, the company identified more than 10bn assigned IDs and nearly 740m session IDs exposed on the internet. In 2025, these numbers have risen to 18bn assigned IDs and 1.2bn session IDs.

These data types are critical for identifying users and securing their accounts – making them valuable to cybercriminals. The stolen information often includes full names, email addresses, passwords and even physical addresses.

According to NordVPN, the data was harvested using 38 different types of malware, more than triple the 12 types it identified last year.

In addition to these known threats, cyber researchers at the firm discovered 26 new types of malware not seen in 2024, a sign that the cybercrime landscape is quickly evolving.

Simple ways to protect yourself

The cyber experts at NordVPN suggest using strong and unique passwords for every account, as well as enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) whenever possible.

They also suggest being careful about sharing personal information and avoid clicking suspicious links or downloading unknown files. Simple but effective solutions.

Another crucial step, according to the cybersecurity firm, is to keep your devices up to date. This can help block harmful malware before it can possibly compromise your system.

In addition, users should clean site data and ensure that privacy settings on their accounts ensure that data is only share with trusted services.

“Taking basic precautions like using strong passwords, enabling MFA and staying alert online can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to cyberattacks. It’s a small investment of time that can protect you from big threats,” Warmenhoven said.

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