Being hacked is of course no fun. Strangers have access to your account and personal information. If you use a password too easy, hacking is simple, but this can also take place on a large scale. This can happen, for example, when a company or service has kept the passwords carelessly.
In 2012, for example, Hackers managed to get all kinds of login details from Dropbox. At that time they also captured an old database with 167 million user data of the hacked LinkedIn. At the beginning of April 2023, the FBI, together with Europol and the Dutch police, conducted a large international investigation into the Genesis Market, an online database with login details, among others. People often use the same password, so it is advisable to regularly change your password or use different passwords, especially for important accounts such as Gmail or iCloud.
Check whether your login details have been leaked on the internet
Not only login details of LinkedIn and Dropbox have been stolen in the past. Also Tumblr, Plex, Yahoo, Adobe, Bitly, Twitter and Other websites Unfortunately had problems with this. Fortunately, you can now easily check whether your login details and passwords are on the street via the website: Haveibeenpwned.com.
The website has collected all leaked data in a database. Enter your e-mail addresses that you use for various online services on the page. The tool goes to work and checks whether this data is reflected in the leaked databases. If this is the case, you can see in the results for which website or service this was. It is best to change your password as soon as possible and also on all websites where you used this password.
When a website or service two-factor authentication (two-factor authentication) supports, it is advisable to call in this. This makes your account extra secure and harder to hack. Click here to engage two -factor authentication for various online services.
Stay informed in the future
Via the button ‘Notify me‘You can register to stay informed in the future. If the specified e-mail address occurs in the Have I Been Pwned database, you will be warned immediately.
Check via password app
Apple users can use security advice for passwords. This function shows the passwords of all stored accounts that can be in danger for some reason. This may involve passwords that are easy to guess or passwords that are made public on the internet via a data breach.
The overview clearly states with security warnings what the problem is with a specific account. This allows users to take immediate action to make the account safer.
Consult security advice
- Open password app (from iOS 18, iPados 18 and macOS Sequoia)
- Tap or click on ‘security’
- Check the list of found risks
Since iOS 14, iPados and MacOS Big Sur you can consult the security advice. For iOS 17, iPados 17 or older you do this via Settings ▸ Passwords. On a Mac with macOS SONOMA or parent you can check this via  ▸ System settings ▸ Passwords or via the Safari settings.
You can read more information about this position in the highlighted article below.
International research Genesis Market
Together with Europol and the Dutch police, the FBI did a large international investigation into the Genesis Market. On this website there was a database online with millions of stolen identity data, such as login data with corresponding user profiles, bank account numbers and other personal information.
With this data, Hackers can take over the digital life of their victims. Think of buying products and taking out subscriptions. To collect the data, Genesis used malware that can come to your computer in several ways, for example after you have downloaded something that the virus was in.
There are also false websites in circulation where cyber criminals attract you to download legal software at first glance. Think of a non-original version of for example Photoshop, which is equipped with malware. Immediately virus scanner You can prevent such a infection of your Mac.