CyberNews’s “Personal Data Leak Checker” is a free online tool that helps you find out if your personal email, phone number, or other related information has been exposed in a data breach. It checks against a large database of leaked, hashed data — so you can see whether your information may be compromised.
How It Works
The tool stores a massive database (roughly 500 GB in size) of leaked, hashed emails.
- To use it, you simply enter your email address (or phone number in international format) into the search field.
- CyberNews says it does not collect or store the email addresses that people check. So your search remains private.
- After clicking “Check Now”, you’ll see whether your email (or phone) appears in any known leaks, and which breach(es) exposed it.
Why It Matters
Data breaches are everywhere — even trusted companies can be breached, and when that happens, hackers might steal emails, passwords, credit card details, or other sensitive data. Once any part of your personal info is exposed, it can be misused:
- For phishing attacks or spam
- To try to hack your other accounts (especially if you reuse passwords)
- In more serious cases, identity theft, financial loss, or damage to your reputation
What You Can Do to Protect Yourself
If the tool shows your email/phone is part of a breach, here are practical steps:
- Change your passwords, especially for the breached email address or any accounts that use it. Use strong, unique passwords.
- Use a password manager to generate and store secure passwords.
- Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible to add an extra layer of security.
- Keep an eye on any unusual account activity. If someone tries to use your identity, you can catch it sooner.
- Stay informed – know which websites have been breached so you can follow security best practices.
Key Benefits
- Quick check: Enter your email/phone; you get results fast.
- Privacy-conscious: Search inputs are not stored.
- Large dataset: Over 18.6 billion breached accounts, across 36,030 websites.
- Actionable advice: Not just detection — guidance is given to reduce further risk
Who Should Use It
- Anyone with an email address (almost everyone!) who wants to know whether their digital identity has been exposed.
- People reusing passwords across sites — to check which ones need updates.
- Those concerned about identity theft, fraud, or phishing.