Was Your Email In a Data Breach? Here’s How to Check

When your email is part of a breach, it means your personal data—passwords, usernames, even credit card info—might be floating around on the dark web. And if you’re reusing passwords (no shame, most people do), that breach can lead to:

• Identity theft

• Stolen accounts

• Spam or phishing attacks

• Compromised business emails

For Long Island businesses, this isn’t just personal—it’s a security risk. Data breaches are a huge liability, especially for law firms, medical offices, accounting practices, and other small businesses.

Step-by-Step: How to Check If Your Email Has Been Breached

Step 1: Go to HaveIBeenPwned.com

This free tool lets you check if your email address was involved in a known data breach.

1. Visit https://haveibeenpwned.com

2. Type in your email address

3. Click “pwned?”

4. View a list of breaches associated with that email

🚨 If it shows red, your data was found in one or more breaches.

Step 2: Review the Breaches

You’ll see details like:

• What company was breached

• What type of data was stolen (passwords, usernames, addresses, etc.)

• When the breach occurred

This gives you insight into what type of damage control you might need.

Step 3: Change Your Passwords (Like, Now)

For every breached account, you should:

• Change your password immediately

• Use a unique, strong password you haven’t used elsewhere

• Enable 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) if it’s available

🔐 Pro tip from ETS IT in Ronkonkoma: Use a password manager like Bitwarden

Step 4: Check for Reuse

If you’ve used the same password on multiple accounts (we’ve all done it), change those too—even if they weren’t directly listed in the breach.

Step 5: Set Up Monitoring Alerts

You can sign up for monitoring alerts from Have I Been Pwned. That way, you’ll get notified if your email shows up in a future breach.

You can also monitor other domains or emails if you’re managing accounts for a business or your team.

What to Do If You Suspect a Breach Has Affected Your Business

📞 Don’t wait. Contact a local cybersecurity professional.

We’ve helped businesses across Ronkonkoma, Hauppauge, Smithtown, and beyond clean up after breaches and prevent them from happening again. A quick check today can save a huge headache tomorrow.

inding your email in a data breach isn’t the end of the world—but ignoring it could be. Take a few minutes to check your status and tighten your defenses. And if you need help, ETS IT Solutions is here for Long Island residents and businesses.

Serving Long Island with Cybersecurity You Can Trust

📍 Based in Ronkonkoma, NY
🛡️ Specializing in IT & Cybersecurity for Long Island Businesses
🔐 Trusted by law firms, accountants, doctors, and nonprofits across Suffolk and Nassau County