HaveIBeenPwned (HIBP) is the gold standard for checking whether your email was exposed in a known data breach. Here's how to set up ongoing monitoring.
⏱ Time: 5 min
🎯 Difficulty: Easy
📋 Method: Web signup
⏳ Processing: Immediate
📂 Category: Security Guide
REMOVAL STEPS
Check your email
Go to haveibeenpwned.com and enter your email address. You'll immediately see every known breach your email appeared in.Enable breach notifications
Scroll down to 'Notify me' and enter your email to subscribe to future breach alerts. HIBP will email you if your address appears in a new breach.Check all your email addresses
Repeat the check for every email address you use — personal, work, and older addresses.Review what was exposed
For each breach, HIBP shows what data was exposed (passwords, phone numbers, addresses). Use this to prioritize which accounts to secure first.Change passwords for breached accounts
If an account's password was exposed, change it immediately — even if it's old.Check your phone number too
HIBP now supports phone number searches as well. Try your mobile number on the same page.
TIPS
HIBP is operated by security researcher Troy Hunt and is one of the most trusted tools in the privacy community.
Notifications are free and HIBP doesn't store your email for any other purpose.
If you see a breach you don't recognize, it may be because your email was shared by another site without your knowledge.