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Your Email Has Been Pwned: How to Find Out and What to Do

The Scary Stats of Email Breaches

• 870,527 email addresses are exposed in a data breach each day.
• The most common male name associated with email breaches is Bob, with an average of 180 breaches per Bob-themed email address.

Recent High-Profile Breaches

One of the most recent breaches was BlankMediaGames, creators of the popular Town of Salem title.

How to Check if Your Email Has Been Compromised

Head to Have I Been Pwned and enter your email address or phone number. This website allows you to search across multiple data breaches to see if your information has been compromised.

What to Do if Your Email Has Been Breached

* **Change your password immediately.** Use a strong password that is unique to your email account. * **Enable two-factor authentication.** This will add an extra layer of security to your account. * **Be aware of phishing scams.** Phishing emails are designed to trick you into giving up your personal information. Be wary of any emails that ask you to click on a link or download a file. * **Monitor your credit report.** Identity thieves may use your stolen email address to open new accounts in your name.

The Most Common Types of Phishing Scams

* **General mass-mailed phishing:** Someone sends an email pretending to be someone else, such as your bank or a government agency. * **Spear phishing:** A targeted phishing attack that is designed to trick a specific individual or organization. * **Whaling:** A type of spear phishing that targets high-level executives or other important individuals.

How to Protect Yourself from Phishing Scams

* **Never click on links or download files from emails that you don't recognize.** * **Be wary of emails that ask you to enter your personal information.** * **Use a spam filter to block unwanted emails.** * **Keep your software up to date.** Software updates often include security patches that can protect you from phishing attacks.