How to Check If Your Details Were in a Breach
How to use breach-checking services safely to see if your email, phone number or passwords have appeared in known data breaches, what the results mean, and what to do next.
Most people have had their details leaked in at least one data breach, often without knowing. Breach-checking services let you see which known breaches included your email address or phone number, so you can act. Here is how to use them safely and what to do with the results.
Where to check
- Have I Been Pwned (haveibeenpwned.com), a long-running free service, lets you check an email address or phone number against known breaches and sign up for alerts.
- Your password manager or browser's password check, which flags saved passwords found in leaks. See password leak warnings.
- Security checkups from your email provider or bank, where offered.
A genuine breach checker never asks for your password alongside your email. Sites that do are phishing.
How to read the results
| Result | What to do |
|---|---|
| Breach included passwords | Change that password everywhere you used it; turn on two-step verification. |
| Breach included phone and address | Expect more targeted scam calls and texts. |
| Breach included date of birth or ID numbers | Consider a credit freeze or fraud alert. See leaked ID numbers. |
| Breach included card details | Check statements and tell your bank. |
| No breaches found | Good, but not a guarantee. Keep unique passwords anyway. |
After you check
- Start with your email and banking passwords.
- Replace reused passwords using a password manager. See password reuse.
- Turn on alerts so you hear about future breaches.
- Close old accounts at breached services you no longer use.
Got an email saying you were "found in a breach" with a link? Paste it into CyberWatch AI Scan for a free check, and use the checker directly instead.
For more, see what to do after a data breach in our identity and account security guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to type my email into a breach checker?
Reputable services such as Have I Been Pwned are widely trusted. Be wary of unknown sites asking for your email and password together; a genuine checker never needs your password.
My email appears in several breaches. Am I in danger?
It is very common. What matters is what data leaked and whether you reused passwords. Change reused passwords and turn on two-step verification.
Can I check if my password was leaked?
Yes. Password managers and many browsers check your saved passwords against known leaks securely, without revealing them.
Sources
- Have I Been Pwned, Troy Hunt
- Data breach guidance for individuals, UK National Cyber Security Centre
- Creating Strong Passwords and Other Ways To Protect Your Accounts, US Federal Trade Commission
