“How do I know if my email address has been hacked? “: this is the question that millions of Internet users around the world ask themselves when a computer hack is revealed to the public. Once cybercriminals are in possession of login credentials of their victims, the damage can be considerable. Our guide tells you how to tell if your email account has been hacked, and shows you the different websites and tools that can help.
Has my email address been hacked: overview of the best solutions
Wondering how to know if your mailbox has been hacked? Luckily, there’s no need for guessing games: these three tools can determine if a mailbox has been hacked by analyzing botnets or data breaches. We have collected in this article the best solutions:
Have I Been Pwned?
To check if your mailbox has been hacked, the best known solution is probably Have I Been Pwned? (HIBP), a website available only in English. You can enter your email address there to have it verified; the control procedure is based on many data breaches known to major websites – more than 670 different sites and 12.5 billion hacked addresses are already in the database.
The website also offers other features, such as the “Notify Me” notification function. It allows you to be automatically notified by the HIBP system if your email address and username are at any time related to a data breach.
Firefox Monitor
Since September 2018, the browser Mozilla also offers a web tool to check if their email address has been hacked. The solution is called Firefox Monitor and provides the data from the HIBP system mentioned above. The verification works according to the same model: you enter your email address and then click on the available button “Check for Breaches”. In no time, you will know if your email address has been hacked or if it is affected by data leaks.
Firefox Monitor also offers the ability to be informed by email. In addition, you are regularly kept up to date with new developments in computer security.
Avast hack check
The cybersecurity leader Avast also presents its own solution to check hacked email addresses: Avast Hack Check. This free solution in English has gathered a database of around 4 billion stolen passwords detected. If your password leaks, you will be informed directly and automatically by email. Avast Hack Check can even share with you the number of passwords recovered by hackers.
The Avast service has other interesting features. For example, you can scan your social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter for unauthorized malicious activity.
Have you ever heard of ethical hacking? Learn more in our article on the subject.
What to do if your mailbox is hacked?
If you’re wondering if your email has been hacked, these three tools will probably answer your questions. However, it is never possible to guarantee it 100%. If no results are reported by the tools, the likelihood that an unauthorized person is accessing your account is low. For security reasons, we nevertheless recommend that you change your passwords regularly.. But what if a data theft is actually reported? Discover the main steps to follow in the article “Mailbox hacking, what to do?” “.
You can create your own email address with IONOS to benefit from a mailbox that is not only 100% ad-free, but also particularly well protected against viruses and spam.
Why is the security of my mailbox so important?
With a hacked email account, criminals can impersonate you on the web. In this case, we speak of identity theft. In addition, sensitive information such as login credentials or bank details can be recovered: hackers can thus access your contacts, can make online purchases in your name or use your account to send spam or Trojans. This can cause considerable financial damage. For example, an online store will take money from your account without you having made any purchases. Since these are purchases made in your name, you will be held accountable for these fraudulent activities.
This can also have consequences for others: for example, if Trojan horses are sent from your mailbox and paralyze a company’s networks. In 2022, 52% of French companies declared at least one cyberattack, which represents a loss of approximately 2 billion euros according to the Asterès research firm.
