What is a Data Breach?

What is a Data Breach?

A data breach happens when sensitive, confidential, or protected data is exposed unintentionally or through a cyber attack. Information that should have remained private falls into the hands of unauthorized individuals.

How do breaches happen?

The most common causes are:

1. Hacker Attacks — Cybercriminals break into company systems.
2. Phishing — Employees are deceived into revealing login credentials.
3. Weak Passwords — Simple passwords are guessed or brute-forced.
4. Configuration Errors — Databases are accidentally made publicly accessible.
5. Insider Threats — Employees steal or leak data intentionally.

What data is typically leaked?

• Email addresses — Most commonly affected.
• Passwords — Often as hashes, sometimes in plain text.
• Names and addresses — Personal identifying information.
• Credit card data — Particularly dangerous.
• Social Security Numbers — Enable identity theft.

What to do if you are affected?

1. Change Passwords

Immediately and everywhere you used the same password.

2. Enable 2FA

Two-factor authentication protects you even if your password is stolen.

3. Monitor Accounts

Watch for suspicious activities or charges.

Check if you are affected now

Use our free tool to check if your email has appeared in known data breaches.

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