Your email address and password combination is probably sitting in a criminal database right now. Not might be. Probably is.
Our breach monitoring system has indexed 18,964,766,399 records from 13,337 confirmed data breaches. That's nearly 19 billion individual pieces of stolen information — email addresses, passwords, phone numbers, and personal details harvested from compromised websites, stolen databases, and malware-infected computers.
The uncomfortable truth? If you've been online for more than a few years, your credentials are almost certainly included somewhere in this massive digital graveyard.
The Scale of Exposure Is Staggering
The largest breach in our database — the XSS.IS Combolist — contains 2.47 billion records with email addresses, usernames, and plaintext passwords. That's not a typo. Nearly 2.5 billion credential pairs, neatly packaged and shared among cybercriminals.
Right behind it sits the Misc Combolists collection with another 1.9 billion records, followed by Verifications.io with 722 million records containing email addresses, phone numbers, and full names.
But here's what makes this truly dangerous: 9,267 breaches in our database expose plaintext passwords. Not encrypted. Not hashed. Your actual password, readable by anyone with access to these files.
When attackers obtain plaintext passwords, they don't just try them on the breached site. They systematically test your email and password combination across banking sites, social media platforms, email providers, and anywhere else of value. This technique — called "credential stuffing" — succeeds far more often than it should because most people reuse passwords.
The Real-World Impact on You
Your digital identity doesn't exist on just one platform. You've likely created accounts on dozens — perhaps hundreds — of websites over the years. Each one represents a potential entry point.
Consider this scenario: You created a MySpace account back in 2008 with your email and a password you thought was clever. That database was breached (it's in our system with 301 million records). You haven't thought about MySpace in years, but you're still using a variation of that same password for your email, your bank, or your work accounts.
An attacker doesn't need to be sophisticated. They simply download credential lists from breaches like Collection #1 (649 million records), the Ga$$Pacc Collection (518 million records), or AntiPublic (348 million records) and run automated tools that attempt your stolen credentials across thousands of popular websites.
Stealer Malware: The Growing Threat You're Ignoring
Look at our most recent breaches — uploads labeled "Cloud_Rolex," "SunCloudNew," and "Wako_Cloud" from just days ago. These aren't traditional hacks. They're stealer logs — data harvested from malware-infected computers.
7,530 breaches in our database come from stealer malware — information-stealing software that silently copies saved passwords, cookies, cryptocurrency wallets, and browsing history from infected devices. This malware spreads through pirated software, malicious email attachments, and compromised websites.
Stealer logs are particularly dangerous because they capture everything: saved passwords from your browser, active login sessions, two-factor authentication cookies that bypass security, and even screenshots of your activity. Criminals buy and sell these logs in bulk for as little as $5-$10 each.
What You Must Do Right Now
The data is clear: traditional password practices don't work anymore. Here's what actually protects you:
Stop Reusing Passwords Immediately
With email addresses appearing in 7,437 breaches in our database, attackers already know your email. If you use the same password across multiple sites, you're giving them a master key. Every single account needs a unique password — not variations, but completely different credentials.
The only practical way to manage this is with a password manager. These tools generate and store complex, unique passwords for every account. You remember one strong master password; the manager handles everything else.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication Everywhere
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds a second verification step beyond your password — usually a code sent to your phone or generated by an authentication app. Even if attackers have your password from a breach, they can't access your account without that second factor.
Enable 2FA on your email first (it protects everything else), then your banking, social media, and work accounts. Use an authenticator app rather than SMS when possible — phone numbers appear in 1,021 breaches in our database, making SMS-based 2FA less secure.
Check Your Actual Exposure
Generic advice doesn't tell you if your data has been compromised. You need to know specifically which breaches contain your information, what data was exposed, and whether passwords were stored in plaintext.
LeakedSource allows you to search your email address, phone number, or username against our database of 18.9 billion breach records. You'll see exactly which breaches you appear in, what information was exposed, and how serious the risk is.
Update Passwords for All Breached Accounts
Once you know where you've been compromised, update those passwords immediately — and make sure you're not reusing the new passwords elsewhere. If a breach exposed your plaintext password, assume attackers have tried it across other platforms.
The Bottom Line
With nearly 19 billion records indexed and counting, data breaches aren't rare events anymore — they're the baseline reality of online existence. The question isn't whether your information has been compromised, but how many times and what you're doing about it.
Criminals are banking on your inaction. They know most people won't change passwords, won't enable 2FA, and won't check if they've been compromised. That's why credential stuffing works. That's why stealer logs are a thriving business.
You can't prevent companies from getting breached, but you can make stolen credentials useless. Unique passwords, two-factor authentication, and knowing your exposure turn you from an easy target into a hardened one.
Check if your information has been compromised. Search your email, phone number, or username at LeakedSource to see your real exposure across 13,337 breaches. Knowledge is the first step toward protection.