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User AccessMedium priority

Sign up for data breach alerts

Register your email address on Have I Been Pwned (haveibeenpwned.com) to receive free alerts if your details appear in a future data breach. You will hear about it before an attacker tries to use it.

Why this matters

When a website is breached, attackers often obtain email addresses and passwords and then try those credentials on banking, email, and social media accounts in a technique called credential stuffing. Being alerted as soon as your email appears in a breach gives you time to change passwords and secure accounts before an attacker tries them.

How to do it

  1. Go to haveibeenpwned.com.
  2. Enter your primary email address in the search box to see if it has already appeared in any known breaches.
  3. If any breaches are shown, change the password for the affected service immediately — especially if you reused that password elsewhere.
  4. Click 'Notify me' and register your email address to receive future breach alerts.
  5. Repeat for any secondary email addresses you use for important accounts.

Cyber Essentials framework

This task falls under the User Accesscontrol — one of five areas assessed in the UK's Cyber Essentials scheme. Completing it counts toward your Cyber Essentials alignment.

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