This is by far the simplest way to find out if you’ve been hacked

Have you ever wondered if your email or password is sitting in some hackers database waiting to be sold to the next highest bidder? Find out below.

With so many data hacks happening today, it’s fairly easy to become desensitized to the problem. You may believe that your security will catch and stop or at least alert you when being attacked. However, that is not always the case and you will want to check your accounts every so often to see if they have been compromised.

The good news is that there are a number of simple to use tools that will let you know if your accounts have indeed been hacked. One of the more interesting is the site Have I Been Pwned? This online site is easy to use as it provides you with monitoring information about data dumps, hacking stories, and finding out if your site is in trouble or not. All you need to do is enter your email address or username and the site will start checking the records of the over one billion accounts. If one of your accounts has indeed been compromised, the site will inform you.

This is because the site will take data from breaches that have been leaked to the public that have been obtained illegally and subsequently posted on the internet. You can see the hacks from popular social media sites such as Dropbox, Linkedin, MySpace, Tumblr, and more.

If your site has indeed been hacked, you can check your account to see if there has been any activity outside of your knowledge. Plus, you should change your password quickly in order to avoid any further intrusions. It is recommended that you install a two-step verification process to help avoid future hacks. In addition, hackers may try to access other sites you own using the same password, so make sure to mix them up as well. This is one reason why you should use a separate password for every site you operate.

While there are other sites that can help you find out if you’ve been hacked, Have I Been Pwned? is one of the best. It’s easy and free to use, very transparent, and quick to discover any hacking attempts. Considering it only takes a few minutes to do a search, it should become a part of your regular maintenance routine that can be employed if you suspect one or more of your sites have been hacked. Or, you can use it every month or two just to see if there has been any suspicious activity.

► Have I Been Pwned

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.