How many email addresses do you have, and how many of them you used as a username or log-in account to social media like Facebook, Tweeter, LinkedIn, and others? If your answer is One, then probably be curious if you have been pawned yet.

Email address is an asset that needs to have a very secure password as it is susceptible to BruteForce attack once known by the adversary.

From the picture framework, imagine how your email address can be used by fraudsters when hacked.

Have I Been Pawned, an online assessment tool is available to check if your email address has been compromised and the site where your email address has been breached.

 

Protecting Email Address

You might not be able to stop spammers from flooding your email inbox but at least from hackers by making your password at least 12 characters or more with an alpha-numeric-symbols combination that you can remember. Complexity does not really mean 100% security but at least make your adversary’s life a little harder.

There is a free online tool that can assess your password’s strength here.

 

About the Author

14 years as an IT professional with Master’s degree in Information Technology, certified ethical hacker, certified security analyst, and certified cybercrime investigator.