Maintained by security analyst Troy Hunt, the database on haveibeenpwned.com, lets you check if one of your email addresses or passwords has been compromised, or "pwned," in internet speak.
After typing the website into your browser, you just have to type in the address of the email account you wish to check for breaches. The site cross-references that email address with more than 10 billion accounts compromised in past breeches.
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Here's an example:
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Then, just click the "pwned?" button next to the search bar.
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If your account is in the clear, you'll get a green page that says "Good news," with references for how to increase security.
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If your account details have been leaked, you'll see a red screen that says, "Oh no -- pwned!" It will tell me how many data breaches the email has been found in and where it may have been "pasted" to a publicly facing website.
If affected, consumers should take steps to secure their accounts by changing a password and setting up two-factor authentication.
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