Mikkel Christensen
Your email address connects nearly every part of your digital life, from banking and shopping to social media and streaming services.
Your email address connects nearly every part of your digital life, from banking and shopping to social media and streaming services.
If it is exposed in a data breach, the impact can reach far beyond a single account.
A free online service now allows users to check whether their email has appeared in known data leaks, offering a direct way to assess personal cyber risk.
Have I Been Pwned, created by cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt, enables users to search their email against a database of publicly disclosed breaches.
The platform compiles verified data from companies and security researchers who track security incidents.
A growing threat
Data breaches have become a persistent global problem, affecting corporations, hospitals, schools and government agencies.
According to reporting by the Associated Press, cybersecurity researchers have identified as many as 16 billion compromised login credentials circulating online, highlighting the vast scale of exposed data worldwide.
One of the most widely reported datasets, known as Collection #1, contained more than 773 million unique email addresses, according to an analysis published by Troy Hunt.
Security specialists warn that once email and password combinations are leaked, attackers often attempt to reuse those credentials across multiple platforms in automated attacks.
Why it matters to you
For individual users, a leaked email address can be the starting point for more serious problems.
If criminals gain access to an email account, they can reset passwords on other services, intercept financial information or impersonate the account holder. Even without direct access, exposed addresses are frequently used in phishing campaigns designed to trick recipients into revealing sensitive data.
Checking whether your email has been involved in a breach allows you to act before attackers do. Updating passwords, enabling two factor authentication and removing password reuse can significantly reduce the risk of further compromise.
Cybersecurity experts emphasize that awareness is a critical first step. While no one can prevent large-scale data breaches alone, individuals can limit the damage by responding quickly once exposure is discovered.
Sources: Associated Press; Troy Hunt; Have I Been Pwned
