CASE FILE III · PERSONAL DATA REMOVAL
Is my data on the dark web?
The dark web sounds abstract until it's your login for sale. Here's how to check calmly - and what actually helps if your data is out there.
Check your email against known breaches
Free tools let you enter your email and see which known data breaches included it. If it appears, a service you used was hacked - not that you did anything wrong.
Change passwords - starting with reused ones
The real danger is the same password reused everywhere. Change it wherever you reused it, starting with email and banking. Use a unique password per site.
Turn on two-factor authentication
Even if a password leaks, a second factor usually stops an attacker. Enable it on email, banking, and social media first.
Watch for targeted scams
Leaked data fuels convincing phishing that knows your name or address. Treat any unexpected urgent message with suspicion.
Consider ongoing monitoring
A one-time check is a snapshot. Monitoring alerts you when your details appear in a new leak, so you can act before they're used.
That first hour after finding your data exposed is the hardest. Continuous dark-web monitoring turns “did I catch everything?” into an alert that arrives the moment something new surfaces.
You don't have to handle this alone.
Talk to a guardian