How to check if my personal information has been compromised

What does it mean when your personal information is compromised?

If your personal information has appeared on the dark web or was shared without your consent, it’s considered compromised. Usually, the focus is on sensitive personal data, like legal names, Social Security numbers, bank account and medical details, or online account credentials. However, when someone steals your images, personal work, or correspondence online, this data also counts as compromised personal information.

Just having your data appear on the dark web doesn’t immediately mean that someone is actively misusing it. However, it increases the risk that criminals might attempt to access your accounts, personal and financial records, and other identifying information in the future or even try to impersonate you. So if you find any of your personal data in places it shouldn’t be, you should think about safety measures without delay.

Signs that your personal information might be compromised

You might not immediately notice that your private information has been impacted. However, over time, you might see some red flags appearing around your online accounts and even in your personal life.

• More spam emails than usual. If your email address is compromised, you might receive a higher volume of suspicious emails. These will often include different types of phishing attempts to access more of your personal data.
• Phone calls and text messages from unknown numbers. If you start receiving incoming calls from unknown or hidden numbers, or get text messages pretending to be from government officials or shipping companies, your phone number may have been leaked.
• Attempts to log in to or reset your accounts. If someone stole your login credentials — especially if you tend to reuse the same password for multiple accounts — you might start seeing login attempts from different countries or requests to reset access to your accounts.
• Friend requests and suspicious messages from unknown accounts on social media. You might receive requests from new, blank accounts to add you as a friend or follow you. These accounts are often already stolen by cybercriminals.
• Notices about attempts to open new bank accounts or take out loans. If your bank information was breached, criminals might attempt to open new accounts in your name or to gain access to your financial records.
• Unauthorized purchases in your bank account activity. If your credit card details were stolen, you might see charges for transactions you didn’t authorize.
• Unexpected credit score changes. Criminal activity involving your credit card can result in sudden credit score drops.
• Visits from debt collectors or legal authorities. If someone impersonates you while they commit a crime, investigators might hold you responsible for these actions unless you can provide proof of identity fraud.

How to check if your personal information has been leaked or breached

If you’ve noticed any of the signs of identity theft, you should check if any of your personal information has been compromised immediately. You can use a range of tools — from dark web monitors to credit monitors — to double-check your data security.

Use a dark web monitoring tool

If you suspect that your private information has been exposed, you can search for it on the dark web. This doesn’t require downloading Tor and sifting through terabytes of databases yourself — instead, you can use a dark web monitoring tool to find this data automatically. Dark web monitoring tools are some of the simplest and most reliable ways to find out if your personal info is on the dark web.

Look at data breach databases

Looking at databases doesn’t require you to go through the hurdles of accessing the dark web. Instead, you can use a dedicated service to check if accounts linked to your email address have appeared in any registered breaches and, if so, which ones. This helps you determine where the weak link lies.

Monitor credit and financial accounts

Criminals can use exposed banking information to commit financial fraud by taking out fraudulent loans. If you know that your financial information has been exposed, start monitoring your accounts. Keep an eye out for unexpected transactions, suspicious withdrawals, or new accounts opened in your name.

Set up breach alerts and notifications

Practice caution following a data breach, especially if you’re unsure how much of your personal information has been affected. Set up breach alerts and notifications to track your sensitive information online. If it matches new data found in a breach database, you’ll learn about that immediately.

Use a password safety checker

If you use weak passwords for your personal accounts, the likelihood of them ending up in data breaches goes up. You can use password health checkers to identify which credentials haven’t been updated in a while, which ones are reused for multiple accounts, which ones don’t meet password strength recommendations, and if any of them have appeared in breaches.

Run an antivirus

If you accidentally install malware, it can run in the background of your device, stealing file after file with important information. Run a thorough antivirus scan. If it detects an infected or suspicious file, you can quarantine it and uninstall the culprit program.

What to do if your information was compromised

If you’ve found your login information, Social Security number, credit card details, or other personal information exposed online, you should take care to protect your accounts and prepare for the potential risk of identity fraud.

Change passwords and secure accounts

If your login details are compromised — especially if you’re in the habit of reusing the same password for multiple accounts — you need to update them immediately. Set new and unique passwords for each account, prioritizing the most sensitive ones, like your email, banking, and insurance.

Enable 2FA or multi-factor authentication

Once you have new login details set up, you should add extra protection for your accounts. Turn on two-factor (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA) on your accounts. With additional authentication, you must verify each login attempt, so you’ll know whenever a stranger tries to access your accounts without permission. However, keep in mind that SMS authentication can be easily spoofed. Opt for an authenticator app that generates one-time codes instead.

Watch for identity theft warning signs

If your banking details are compromised, start actively monitoring your financial activity. If you notice sudden credit score drops, receive notices from the IRS, get your applications for loans or new accounts declined, or if you see suspicious charges on your card, inform your bank and credit providers immediately.

Freeze your credit or set up fraud alerts

Protect your financial accounts against unauthorized loan applications and account openings. Notify any of the major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion — that you need a fraud alert set on your credit report. Submit a request to freeze your credit, which will prevent criminals from making requests using your credit information. Alternatively, you can lock your credit, which will warn you if new requests are made in your name, allowing you to approve or deny them.

Report identity theft

If you have definitive proof that someone is illegally using your personal information, you need to report identity theft immediately. Gather the evidence you have — bank and credit activity, fraudulent loans, emails, and any other receipts. Submit an Identity Theft Report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), inform the IRS, and file a report with the police.

How to protect your personal information going forward

The hardest part of preventing identity theft is that you don’t have complete control over it. Data breaches affect companies more often than individuals, meaning your personal information getting exposed usually isn’t your fault. Nevertheless, you can take action to prevent your personal data from getting out of your hands in the future.

• Use strong and unique passwords. The more varied and complex your passwords are, the more difficult it is for hackers to crack them with brute force attacks. Use a password manager to generate and store strong passwords for every online account. Usually, a strong password is at least eight characters long and contains a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special symbols.
• Be cautious of phishing and suspicious emails. Learn to identify the main signs of a phishing email. Look out for spoofed domains, error-ridden text, generic greetings, and suspicious attachments.
• Keep your software and antivirus updated. Outdated software is a vulnerability that can make it easier for cybercriminals to breach your data with malware. Remember to regularly install updates — especially those security patches.
• Avoid oversharing personal data online. The less you share about yourself, the less criminals can access. Set your social media accounts to private, limit who can send you message requests, and do not share highly sensitive information online.
• Think before creating new accounts. Your data security often relies on how well other websites and services handle it. Before creating new accounts on e-commerce or social media platforms, review their data handling policies and see if they’ve had any data breaches in the past.
• Review financial statements regularly. Criminals don’t always strike immediately after obtaining sensitive data. Review your credit reports periodically and flag any irregularities. You can request free credit reports from the credit bureaus.
• Use a secure network connection. Connecting to open Wi-Fi networks can put your personal data at risk. If you use shared internet in public places, switch on a VPN. It will encrypt your network traffic and prevent criminals from seeing what you do online.
• Don’t share your SSN unless necessary. In 2024, over 270 million Social Security numbers were exposed when the data brokering service National Public Data was breached. Getting a new SSN after identity theft is a long and complex process. As a consumer, the best way to protect your Social Security number is by limiting what services you share it with.
• Use a reliable identity protection service. Be prepared to respond to incidents quickly with the NordProtect identity theft protection service. It tracks your credit file and alerts you once it flags any suspicious changes. You can also set up dark web monitoring to stay informed if your personal data is compromised. And if your data becomes a target, NordProtect’s identity theft recovery offers you expert assistance and eligibility for up to $1 million to cover recovery costs.