Poll of the Day > How does the site "have I been pwned" work?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'm so confused. Am I at risk or not? Like, what exactly does it look for? Your email address? If I use a different password for different sites am I at risk? If I change my password does it still say I've been pwned?
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WarGreymon77 posted...

If I change my password does it still say I've been pwned?

Yes. All they do is catalog security breaches. They have no way of knowing whether or not the information stolen is current or outdated, they just let you know if you have been compromised and where/when it happened.

WarGreymon77 posted...

Am I at risk or not? Like, what exactly does it look for? Your email address? If I use a different password for different sites am I at risk? If I change my password does it still say I've been pwned?

it's telling you if your information has been exposed, either in a data breach (a company leaked your info), or a "paste" (a hacker listing somewhere online contained your info). the info that is associated with your email address varies from breach to breach.

if you test your password and it comes back red, then somewhere online there's a listing that contains that password.
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I went there because I got a disturbing ransom email in my junk mail folder with a legit password. I mostly used that password on... GameFAQs. I had changed almost everything else.
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WarGreymon77 posted...

I went there because I got a disturbing ransom email in my junk mail folder with a legit password. I mostly used that password on... GameFAQs. I had changed almost everything else.

I've seen several of those, minus the legit information. Don't worry, they don't have video of you doing the dirty deed. Since it did come with a good password, it'll still be in your best interest to change that password anywhere you may have used it and avoid its future use.