Check for Data Breaches & Compromised Accounts

Why

Data breaches are frequent and can expose your personal information (emails, passwords, etc.) without your immediate knowledge. Regularly checking breach notification sites and monitoring your accounts helps you detect compromises early, allowing you to take swift action to secure your accounts and mitigate potential damage like identity theft or financial fraud.

Action

• Visit breach notification services like haveibeenpwned.com and enter your email addresses and known usernames.
• Review any breach alerts from your password manager or identity monitoring services.
• Check for notifications from companies you do business with regarding recent security incidents.
• For any accounts identified in a breach or showing suspicious activity:
  • Change the password immediately to a strong, unique one (use a password manager).
  • Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) if not already active.
  • Review account activity, settings, and recovery information for any unauthorized changes.
  • Update security questions if they were potentially compromised.
• Look for unusual login attempts or unrecognized devices in your critical account activity logs.
• If financial information was potentially exposed, monitor your credit reports and financial statements closely.

Remember

Swift action after discovering a breach or compromise is crucial. Using unique passwords for every account significantly limits the damage if one account’s credentials are exposed. Consider using password manager monitoring features and setting up alerts on breach notification sites for ongoing vigilance.