How to Know If Your Data Was Breached
Most people find out their data was breached long after it happened — if they find out at all. Companies are not always quick to disclose, and leaked data often circulates for months before it surfaces publicly. The good news: you can check for yourself in a couple of minutes.
The fastest check is an exposure scan. Enter your email address and it is matched against known breach datasets — the same data criminals buy and trade. If your address shows up, you will see which breaches it appeared in and what type of information was exposed.
Watch for the warning signs, too: password-reset emails you did not request, logins from unfamiliar locations, a spike in spam or phishing, or a service emailing you about "suspicious activity." Any of these can mean your credentials are already circulating.
If you find you have been exposed, do not panic — but do act. Change the password on the affected account and anywhere you reused it, turn on two-factor authentication, and start removing your personal information from the data-broker sites that aggregate and resell it.