Author: Josh Barton | Date published: 17 May 2021
Has my password been stolen? Is this email or file safe to open? These are common and valid concerns that we all face. The good news is, they can be checked using the recommended cyber tools below:
How to check if your password has been stolen.
With cybersecurity on the rise, we recommend using Have I Been Pwned https://haveibeenpwned.com/ to ascertain if your password is safe.
Have I Been Pawned is a handy tool that lets you check if you have ever had an email account compromised that has been detected or reported. This website will check your email address against over 10 billion compromised accounts that have either been found on the dark web or been reported from a cyber-security breach. In order to check, simply enter an email address on the website, and you will receive a result showing whether that email address has been compromised.
The fact that this type of tool exists demonstrates how important it is to use different passwords for different email accounts and to change your passwords regularly.
How to check if an email or file is safe.
We all have moments where we pause before opening an email or a file questioning whether it is safe to open. If you have concerns about a file, use Virus Total to do the check for you https://www.virustotal.com/gui/
Virus Total uses over 70 antivirus scanners and blacklisting services to scan any file you are unsure of, and even better it’s free to use. After loading up the file, you will receive a report showing which antivirus/blacklists have issues and what the specific issues are with the file.
With more employees regularly working from home, this tool will provide the reassurance that a file is safe to work with when the employee doesn’t have direct access to peer or IT support.