Has My Email Been Breached? How to Check
Billions of email addresses and passwords have been leaked online. Here's how to find out if yours is one of them — and what to do about it.
What Is a Data Breach?
A data breach happens when a company's database is hacked, leaked, or accidentally exposed. The stolen data — which can include email addresses, passwords, phone numbers, and personal information — often ends up on dark web forums where anyone can access it.
Major companies like LinkedIn (700M records), Adobe (153M records), and Dropbox (68M records) have all been breached. If you've had an account with any of these services, your data may have been exposed without you ever being notified.
Why Should I Care?
If your email and password from one service have been leaked, attackers will try that same combination on every other service — your email, your bank, your social media, your business tools. This is called credential stuffing, and it's one of the most common attack methods. Most people reuse passwords across services, which means a single breach can compromise everything.
For businesses, a breach involving staff email addresses can lead to targeted phishing attacks, account takeovers, and access to sensitive company data.
How to Check
There are a few ways to check if your email has been involved in a known data breach:
- 1. Use a breach scanner — Services like AuditStack's Data Breach Scan check your email against databases of known breaches and tell you exactly what was exposed, when, and where.
- 2. Check your email provider — Google, Microsoft, and Apple all have built-in security alerts. Check your account's security settings for any breach notifications.
- 3. Monitor regularly — New breaches are discovered all the time. What was clean last month might not be today. We recommend checking every 3-6 months.
What to Do if You've Been Breached
Don't panic — being in a breach doesn't mean your accounts have been accessed. But you should act quickly:
Change your password immediately
On the breached service, and on any other service where you used the same password. Use a unique, strong password for each account.
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)
This adds a second layer of security so that even if someone has your password, they can't access your account without your phone or authenticator app.
Use a password manager
Password managers generate and store unique passwords for every account. You only need to remember one master password. This eliminates password reuse entirely.
Watch for phishing attempts
After a breach, attackers may send targeted emails pretending to be the breached company. Be suspicious of any email asking you to click a link or provide information.
For Businesses
If you run a business, check your company email addresses and domain regularly. A single compromised staff account can give attackers access to your entire organisation. Make sure all staff use unique passwords, enable 2FA on business accounts, and have a plan for responding to breaches.
Check if your data has been leaked
Find out if your email has been exposed in a breach. If it has, we'll help you secure everything.
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