How to Check for Data Breaches

Learn how to check if your personal information has been exposed in data breaches using free online tools and monitoring services.

1. Check Have I Been Pwned. Navigate to haveibeenpwned.com and enter your email address in the search field. Click the pwned? button to scan the database. The service will display any breaches associated with your email, showing the date, affected data types, and breach details.
2. Verify your phone number exposure. Return to Have I Been Pwned and click the Telephone tab. Enter your phone number to check if it appears in data dumps from breached services. This reveals whether your number was exposed alongside other personal information.
3. Run a comprehensive scan with Firefox Monitor. Visit monitor.firefox.com and enter your email address. Firefox Monitor, powered by Have I Been Pwned data, provides breach summaries and actionable recommendations. The service highlights high-risk exposures and suggests immediate steps.
4. Check multiple email addresses. Repeat the process for all email addresses you use, including work emails, old accounts, and aliases. Breaches often affect secondary emails that users forget to monitor. Document which addresses appear in breaches and the types of data exposed.
5. Search for username exposures. Use services like BreachDirectory or Dehashed to search for usernames, especially if they differ from your email addresses. These platforms index additional breach data and may reveal exposures not captured by email-based searches.
6. Review credit monitoring services. Access your free annual credit reports at annualcreditreport.com to check for unauthorized accounts or inquiries. Many credit cards and banks also provide free credit monitoring that alerts you to new accounts opened in your name.
7. Document and prioritize your findings. Create a list of confirmed exposures, noting the breach date, exposed data types, and affected accounts. Prioritize immediate action for breaches involving passwords, social security numbers, or financial information. Update passwords for all affected accounts immediately.