What does 'Your password was found in a data breach' mean?

What does "Your password was found in a data breach" mean?

If you are seeing a message similar to "Your password was found in a data breach", it means our automated system has found the password online. When companies have a data leak,  lists of usernames and passwords get leaked online by hackers. If your chosen password appears on one of these lists, our system will not accept it because it is not considered secure.

 

What should you do if your password was found in a data breach?

If the password you are trying to use is one that you also use on other sites, change it on those sites as well — a breached password is compromised everywhere it is used. For better security going forward:

• Use a unique password for each site so a single breach does not affect multiple accounts.
• Choose passwords that are not easy to guess — avoid common words, names, or sequences.

 

 

If you aren't sure about the security of an username or password, try visiting this handy online checker: https://haveibeenpwned.com/