Data Leak Check

Data Leaks and Identity Theft

This topic is closely related to checking data for identity theft; more accurately, a data leak is part of identity theft. However, we cannot equate the two. If hackers have breached a forum where you had an account, that is a data leak, but not identity theft, as your account is not directly linked to your identity.

However, if the hackers have your account on a dating site with your photos or a copy of your passport, and they start using this information for illegal purposes, such as obtaining an online loan or registering an account in your name, that is identity theft.

Therefore, to determine whether a data leak has occurred, it is advisable to use tips for checking personal data for identity theft. We have a separate chapter dedicated to this issue in our course.

Methods for Checking Data for Leaks

Checking through Leak Aggregators

There are websites that collect information about public leaks, databases of leaked accounts, and allow users to check their email address for presence in these databases.

I recommend using the largest and most popular leak information aggregator – Have I Been Pwned. Firstly, it has the largest database; secondly, it does not disclose passwords and does not sell data – as you will understand from reading the chapter, not all services treat personal data with such respect.


The principle of leak aggregators is simple: you enter your email or username, and the site checks if it is in the leak databases. You need to remember all your email addresses if the current email you use for registrations on websites differs from the one you used a year or two ago.