Accounts & securityPractical guide · updated for 2026
How to Check Whether Your Password Was Leaked
Look your email address up in a reputable breach-check service, then change the password on every account where you reused it. The leak itself is not the danger; reused passwords are.
Have this ready
- The email addresses you actually use
- A password manager or a safe place to record new passwords
- Access to your email for verification codes
Step by step
- 1Search your main email addresses in a breach-check service that reports which breaches include you.
- 2Note which services are affected and the date of each breach, to see which password was exposed then.
- 3Change the password on every account that shares that password, starting with email and banking.
- 4Use a different password for each account, generated by a password manager.
- 5Turn on two-step verification on email, banking and social accounts.
- 6Check for unrecognised logins in each account's security settings.
- 7Repeat the check every few months, and after any breach news for a service you use.
Want it done with you?
I can walk you through it in a Magic Box, show you the exact clicks, or do it with you and keep the recording. You log in yourself; I never see your password.
Common questions
Should I change the password if the leaked one was old?+
Yes, if you still use it anywhere, even in a variation. Attackers try small variations automatically.
Do password managers get hacked?+
Less often than people reuse passwords. Use a reputable manager with a strong master password and two-step verification.
What does a breach notification email look like?+
Real ones name the service, the data affected and what they advise. Verify it by visiting the service directly rather than clicking the link.