According to cybersecurity analysts, billions of accounts end up in the hands of cybercriminals every year. It’s not just celebrities and corporations that are hacked; databases of ordinary users are regularly leaked from large services: from online stores to social networks.
The most unpleasant thing:you may not know about it for months or years. While you are quietly using your account, someone has long been selling your email and password on forums on the darknet.
The good news is that you can check it for free and quickly.
Step 1: Check your email for leaks – Have I Been Pwned website
The most famous and reliable tool for checking leaks ishaveibeenpwned.com. The site was created by security researcher Troy Hunt and contains a database of more than 12 billion compromised accounts.
How to use:
- Go to haveibeenpwned.com
- Enter your email address
- Click “pwned?”
If the result is red with the inscription “Oh no – pwned!” — your email appears in one or more leaks. The site will show which services were hacked and what data got into the network.
Important:The site itself does not store passwords and is not dangerous. It only checks your email against its database of leaks.
Step 2: Check your passwords – built-in tools
Modern browsers and operating systems monitor password security themselves—you just need to know where to look.
Google Chrome/Android:Open Chrome → Click on the three dots → Settings → Password Manager → Check Passwords. Chrome will compare your saved passwords with leak databases and show which of them are compromised.
Safari/iPhone:Settings → Passwords → Security recommendations. Here you will see passwords that have been hacked, are used on multiple sites, or are too simple.
Apple Keychain:If you have an iPhone, you have a real-time leak monitoring system working for you. The notification “This password appeared as a result of a data leak” is not an error, but a real signal to action.
Step 3: Check active sessions in key accounts
Even without global checks, you can see traces of hacking by looking at who is currently authorized in your accounts.
Google:Go to myaccount.google.com → Security → Your Devices. If you see unfamiliar devices or cities, someone else is in your account.
VKontakte:Settings → Security → Activity history. Look at IP addresses and devices.
Telegram:Settings → Privacy and Security → Active Sessions. Unfamiliar devices – terminate immediately.
Signs that your account has already been hacked
In addition to checking, pay attention to indirect signs:
🔴 You can’t login— the password was changed without your knowledge
🔴 Unfamiliar emails in Sent– spam is coming from your address
🔴 Notifications about entry from another city or country
🔴 Friends complainto strange messages from you
🔴 Profile details have changed— name, avatar, phone number
🔴 Confirmation codes arrive, which you did not request
What to do if a hack is detected
Immediately:
- Change your passwordon the hacked service – and on all others where the same password was used.
- Enable two-factor authentication(2FA) is critical.
- End all active sessions— in the service security settings.
- Check your email and phone number– whether the attacker changed them.
In the coming days:5. Check all other accounts where the same password was used. 6. View your transaction history if your account with payment information has been hacked. 7. Tell your friends that your account has been hacked so they don’t fall for fraudulent messages in your name.
How to protect yourself in the future: 3 main rules
1. Unique password for each serviceIf one password is used everywhere, hacking one site opens access to everything. Use a password manager (Bitwarden, 1Password, built into your phone).
2. Two-factor authentication wherever possibleEven if the password is stolen, they will not be able to log in without the second factor (code from SMS or application). Enable 2FA in Google, VKontakte, Telegram, banking applications.
3. Regular check every 6 monthsLeaks happen all the time. Make checking through haveibeenpwned.com a regular habit – once every six months is enough.
Conclusion
You can check whether your data has been compromised in literally 5 minutes – and it’s worth doing right now. Most people find out about a hack by accident or too late. Don’t wait for someone to use your data – check proactively.
Internet safety is not paranoia. This is hygiene, like washing your hands.