Has my email address been leaked?
How to find out whether your email address appears in a data breach, what the result really means and what to do next.
Every year, databases from online shops, social networks and public services are stolen and then shared. Your email address is often in them, along with other information: password, phone number, postal address, date of birth.
How to check without exposing your data further
The world reference for listing public breaches is Have I Been Pwned, which indexes several hundred verified breaches. SimplComIA queries it for you, with two guarantees:
- the check only runs after you click a link sent to the address itself, so nobody can check someone else's address;
- only the site name, the date and the types of data affected are shown, never the data itself, and nothing is stored.
Understanding the result
No breach found does not mean "no risk": only breaches that have been made public and verified are listed. Keep good habits (unique passwords, two-factor authentication).
One or more breaches: look first at the types of data exposed. A password or bank details require immediate action; an email address alone mainly exposes you to phishing.
What next?
Follow our guide what to do after a data breach. You can also ask the company concerned to erase what it still holds about you thanks to the GDPR right to erasure.