By admin When you purchase through links in our articles, Future and its distribution partners may earn a commission.
Source: Surfshark
It’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and one of the best VPN services on the market has just unveiled an easy way to monitor the security of your personal data. What’s more, you don’t have to spend a penny to use it.
Surfshark has launched a free data leak checker as a standalone website. All you need to do is visit the website and enter your email address. The system will then check multiple sources on the Internet for potential database and malware leaks.
The new tool leverages Surfshark Alert, the data leak detection system included in the Surfshark One security suite.
The growing need for protection against data leaks
You may have noticed a wave of data leaks lately, with headlines about new cases appearing on international news outlets almost daily.
Let’s look at some data. The year 2024 began with the “mother of all data breaches,” with 26 billion records compromised – the most in history. New events occurred regularly throughout the year and around the world. In August, a massive supply chain cyber attack stole the medical information of nearly 400,000 American patients.
According to Surfshark’s Global Data Breach Statistics, approximately 18 billion user accounts have been leaked worldwide over the past 20 years.
“With the launch of Data Leak Checker, we are emphasizing the importance of knowing exactly where and how your data may have been compromised,” said Kornelija Vanage, Alert product owner at Surfshark. “Understanding the details of breaches can enable individuals to take informed actions to protect their personal information and prevent further harm.”
Vanage explains that Surfshark’s data breach checker is a simple and accessible tool that will ensure that anyone, regardless of their technical knowledge, can keep their personal data safe from data breaches.
Once you enter your email address, the tool will monitor every corner of your network for infected data.
After scanning, you will receive a report covering database attacks and malware. The first will show large compromised domains and infected databases that may have included your account. The latter will highlight any potential vulnerabilities in your email address due to malware on your device.
The provider explains that for security reasons some data may be hidden. To view complete and detailed information, you must subscribe to the Surfshark Alert premium service.
As mentioned earlier, Surfshark Alert is part of the Surfshark One security suite along with a virtual private network, private search engine, and antivirus software.
Surfshark’s paid data breach detection system goes a step further by providing real-time alerts, notifying you of any breaches involving your personal data. Not only does it promise to protect your email accounts, but it also checks the vulnerability of your password, prevents identity theft and protects your credit cards.
What to do if your email has been leaked
If your Surfshark report indicates that your email has been compromised in some way, it is extremely important to act quickly to mitigate any potential damage.
The experts at Surfshark recommend it immediately changing passwords for all affected accounts. Remember to use complex passwords made up of special characters and non-dictionary terms – and don’t use the same password for multiple accounts. This is where a good password manager tool can come in handy to generate strong passwords and remember them on your behalf.
If your account allows it, you should do it too switch on two-factor authentication. This adds an additional layer of security to your accounts by requiring you to verify your identity using an additional method (such as a one-time code) before accessing the account in question. Two-factor authentication also mitigates credential stuffing attacks.
Viewing activity on your account This is another important step that allows you to check for unauthorized transactions or suspicious login attempts and report any irregularities to your service provider.
Surfshark also suggests keep an eye on phishing trying because attackers can use your exposed email address to conduct even more scams in the future.