How to Check if Your Email Has
Been Leaked Step by Step
Data leaks have become one of the most common cybersecurity issues today. Every year, millions of email addresses, passwords, and personal details are exposed through hacked databases, phishing attacks, weak websites, or unsecured apps. The scary part? Most people don’t even know their email has been leaked until strange things start happening.
This step-by-step guide explains exactly how to check whether your email has been leaked, how to confirm the source of the breach, what the leaked data includes, and – most importantly – how to secure your accounts after a leak. Everything is written in natural, human style and is based on real-world cybersecurity work performed at
Codeila.
Why It’s Important to Check If Your Email Was Leaked
Your email is the gateway to your entire digital life. Every account – banking, social media, cloud storage, shopping, subscriptions – is usually tied to the same email address. If your email gets leaked, attackers can:
- Try your password in multiple websites (credential stuffing)
- Reset your passwords on other services
- Send phishing emails to your contacts
- Use your email for fraud or spam
- Steal personal or financial information
In many real cases, leaks lead directly to identity theft, fake loan applications, or complete account takeovers.
“If your email is leaked, assume hackers already tried to access your accounts – even if nothing happened yet.”
How Email Leaks Happen
Before checking if your email was leaked, it helps to understand how leaks occur. Most breaches happen because a website or app you used was hacked – not because you personally did something wrong.
Common Sources of Email Leaks:
- Website database breaches (e.g., LinkedIn, Adobe, Canva, MyFitnessPal)
- Weak or reused passwords
- Phishing attacks that trick users into entering their credentials
- Data scraping from public websites and social media
- Malware infections stealing stored credentials from browsers
- Unsecured apps that store user data without encryption
Step-by-Step: How to Check If Your Email Has Been Leaked
Below is a complete, practical workflow using multiple trusted sources. Each tool checks a different type of leak, giving you the most accurate results.
Step 1: Check Your Email Using Have I Been Pwned (Most Trusted)
Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) is the world’s most reputable leak-checking website. It collects data from thousands of confirmed breaches and lets you instantly check if your email appears in any leak.
Official Website:
https://haveibeenpwned.com/
How to Use It:
- Visit HaveIBeenPwned.com
- Enter your email address
- Click “Pwned?”
- Review all breaches your email appears in
Understanding the Results:
| Breach Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Emails Only | Your email was leaked, but no password. |
| Email + Password | Your login combo was leaked – urgent danger. |
| Full Credentials | Names, addresses, phone numbers, passwords, IP logs. |
| Compromised Website | A site you signed up for was hacked. |
“Most identity theft cases begin with email + password leaks from third-party breaches.”
Step 2: Check Firefox Monitor (Excellent Second Source)
Firefox Monitor uses the same leak database as Have I Been Pwned, but presents the information differently and often includes additional alerts or recommendations.
Official Website:
https://monitor.firefox.com/
Why Use Firefox Monitor?
- Sometimes detects breaches not yet shown on HIBP
- Shows severity levels
- Provides clear instructions for non-technical users
How to Use:
- Enter your email on Firefox Monitor
- Confirm your email (optional)
- Review all detected breaches
Step 3: Use Cybernews Email Leak Checker
Cybernews has its own unique database of leaked credentials, ransomware dumps, and credential-stuffing lists circulating on the dark web. This makes it extremely valuable.
Official Link:
Cybernews Leak Checker
What Makes Cybernews Different?
- Scans dark web credential dumps
- Finds leaks not indexed on other platforms
- Provides a detailed breakdown of exposed information
Types of Exposed Data It Shows:
| Data Type | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Password Hash | Your password was leaked but encrypted. |
| Plain Password | Your password was leaked in readable text. |
| Phone Number | Often used for SMS phishing attacks. |
| IP Address | Indicates login locations or exposed logs. |
Step 4: Check Deeper With “DeHashed” (Advanced Users)
DeHashed is a professional tool used by cybersecurity experts. It scans extremely large underground leak databases, including some not listed in public search tools.
Official Website:
https://www.dehashed.com/
Note: Some results require a paid account, but the free search alone is extremely valuable.
What You Can Find With DeHashed:
- Leaked passwords
- Old accounts you forgot about
- Emails tied to other platforms
- Usernames associated with your email
- Dark web database entries
Step 5: Check If Your Password Has Been Compromised
Sometimes your email itself is safe, but the password linked to it was leaked through another service – this is extremely dangerous, especially if you reuse the same password.
Use This Tool:
Have I Been Pwned – Password Checker
https://haveibeenpwned.com/Passwords
This tool checks if a password appears in known leaks – without revealing your actual password.
“Never reuse passwords. One leaked password often leads to full account takeover across multiple services.”
Step 6: Check Your Email for Spam Activity or Suspicious Logins
If your email provider supports it (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, ProtonMail), check your recent login history.
Look for:
- Logins from countries you’ve never visited
- Suspicious device names
- Multiple failed login attempts
- SMTP abuse (sending spam emails)
Where to Check:
| Email Provider | Security Page |
|---|---|
| Gmail | https://myaccount.google.com/security |
| Outlook | https://account.microsoft.com/security |
| Yahoo | https://login.yahoo.com/account/security |
| ProtonMail | https://account.proton.me/security |
What To Do If Your Email Has Been Leaked (Full Recovery Plan)
If any tool confirms your email has been leaked – don’t panic. Follow this step-by-step process to regain control and secure your accounts.
1. Change Your Email Password Immediately
Use a strong, unique password with:
- 16+ characters
- Upper/lowercase letters
- Numbers
- Symbols
2. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
This instantly blocks most hackers, even if they have your password.
3. Check All Linked Accounts
Hackers often target:
- PayPal
- Amazon
- Banking accounts
- Cloud storage
4. Search for Forwarding Rules
Some hackers secretly forward your incoming emails to their address.
5. Remove Unknown Devices
6. Scan Your System for Malware
Use one of these tools:
- Malwarebytes
- Kaspersky Web Scanner
- ESET Online Scanner
7. Notify Your Contacts if Needed
If your email was used to send spam, inform your close contacts.
8. Consider a Professional Security Audit
If the leak is serious, or multiple accounts were compromised, you can request expert help from
Codeila’s Security Team.
How to Prevent Future Email Leaks
- Use unique passwords for every service
- Enable 2FA everywhere
- Avoid signing up on untrusted websites
- Use a password manager (Bitwarden, 1Password, KeePass)
- Never store passwords in plain text or browsers
- Update your devices & apps regularly
Final Thoughts
Checking if your email has been leaked is one of the simplest yet most important cybersecurity habits you can adopt. With billions of credentials leaked every year, it’s essential to scan your email regularly and secure your digital identity before a hacker takes advantage of your information.
Using the tools in this guide – HaveIBeenPwned, Firefox Monitor, Cybernews Leak Checker, and others – gives you a complete picture of your exposure. But tools alone aren’t enough. You must act on the results, strengthen your passwords, enable 2FA, and secure all linked accounts.
If you need professional help securing your accounts, investigating leaks, or protecting your business from cyber threats, the team at
Codeila
is always ready to assist.
