Reports confirm that over 200 million email addresses were illicitly acquired from Twitter in early 2023. The breach came to light when the stolen email addresses were spotted on a hacking forum.
Individuals who actively use Twitter or have previously signed up for the platform, even if they are not currently active users, may be concerned about the security of their email addresses in light of this breach.
The compromised data appears to have been gathered in 2021 through the misuse of an API that permitted the mapping of email addresses to Twitter profiles.
The widely-used website Have I Been Pwned has now incorporated the list of over 200 million email addresses into its repository. Users can easily check if their email address was part of the Twitter breach by visiting the designated website and entering the specific email address for verification.
It is essential to note that Twitter account passwords were not part of the leaked data. However, malicious actors could potentially exploit the leaked information for various nefarious purposes, such as:
- Executing phishing schemes by leveraging leaked email addresses, usernames, and other account details to create convincing phishing emails.
- Attempting brute force attacks to gain unauthorized access to certain accounts.
- Engaging in social engineering tactics, like deceptive chats or mail communications.
Some password managers actively monitor public leak databases to alert their users about compromised passwords. For instance, users of the KeePass free local password manager can cross-check their passwords against the Have I Been Pwned database locally. Additionally, various online password managers and web browser password managers offer similar features.
In situations like this, users can benefit from email forwarding services. Platforms like Mozilla’s Firefox Relay, AnonAddy, SimpleLogin, and DuckDuckGo’s email protection service can assist in safeguarding email communications.
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