What’s worse is that some leaks do not stop at e-mail, but may include passwords, phone numbers, or other personal data. But discovering the matter does not require advanced technical skills, as there are specialized services that allow the user to check whether his email address appeared in known data leaks.
One of the most famous tools available for this task is the “Have I Been Pwned” website, which collects information on a large number of known data hacking and leaking incidents. The user can enter his email address on the scan page on the site to see if it appears in one of the leaked databases.
If there is a result, the service usually displays the name of the site or company associated with the leak, along with the type of data that appeared in the incident, such as email address, phone number, or user name, depending on the nature of the leak.
The appearance of an email in this service does not necessarily mean that the account itself is currently hacked, but rather indicates that the data associated with the address appeared in a known leaking incident.
The problem is that this data can later be used to carry out more convincing attacks, especially phishing emails. The user may receive a message that appears to be from a bank or technology company and contains real information about him, with the aim of prompting him to click on a link or enter the password or card information.
The most important step you should take in this case is to change the password for the account linked to the leak, especially if the old password is still in use. It is also recommended not to use one password for more than one account. If an attacker obtains a leaked password, he can try the same data on email, social accounts, shopping sites, etc.
Checking your email can also be a simple but useful step to find out whether your address appeared in known leaks. The most important thing is to treat the result as an indication of reviewing the security of your accounts and not automatic evidence that they have been hacked. (Erm News)
