My email has been 'pwned' x 9. what should I do?

[scarletp]

Hi,  I have found out that 3 of our family ntl email addresses have been pwned over the years. (last time was in 2019 I believe).  I cannot get my head around what the implications are, even after doing a fair bit of research.  It all goes over my head. I do use strong passwords now.

Would it be wise for me to create a new email address with VM and stop using (or even delete) the other 3? 

Has anyone been through this and can maybe share your thoughts with me (in simple language preferably please). 

Incidentally over the last 18 months I did cease using my ntl address for many companies and have recently decided to swap back to using my ntl address again as gmail frustrates me.  Not sure whether this latest move is wise in view of the past breaches?

Thank you

speak please).  

[Graham_A]

@scarletp VM no longer allow new email addresses to be created for existing and new customers so the option in para 2 is not possible.

If you have strong passwords set for the email accounts then you shouldn't worry too much about them being pwned previously.

However, it is always a good idea to move to email addresses that are independent of your ISP.  Should you ever have to stop using VM as your broadband supplier you will lose all email accounts associated with it.

[goslow]

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@scarletp wrote:

Hi,  I have found out that 3 of our family ntl email addresses have been pwned over the years. (last time was in 2019 I believe).  I cannot get my head around what the implications are, even after doing a fair bit of research.  It all goes over my head. I do use strong passwords now.

<snip>  

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Many people find their email addresses on the 'have i been pwned?' website (including myself).

As well as checking which data leaks you may have been involved in, check whether the email is listed in any 'pastes' (where the information is known to have been made public online).

Changing the passwords and security question(s), on all the affected accounts, to ones which are unique and secure is the first step.

People with an increased chance of being adversely affected are those who have reused the same email+password combination across multiple sites and services (because knowing that one set of email+password combo can then allow scammers and fraudsters access to multiple online accounts).

All services you sign up for should use a unique and complex password and use two factor authentication if it is available.

As already advised by Graham_A, switching your email to a non-ISP provider is preferable as you will, most likely, get better security and features and be able to move between broadband providers more easily if you are not tied to an ISP email address.

[jem101 · Accepted solution]

As per goslow's excellent advice above, I would just like to emphasise the word 'unique' in reference to passwords. It really doesn't matter how long, or secure(?) or how many different numbers, uppercase, lowercase letters etc. you have in your password, if you use the same one on many different sites then it is only as secure as the least competent of those sites.

For example, you have a really secure and long password for your bank, all well and good and you can be reliably sure that the bank is unlikely to be hacked and if they were then you can expect to be compensated. Now imagine that you use the same password at 'Fred's Wallpaper Emporium', do you think that they have the same level of security as your bank? If they were to be hacked and all of their customers' usernames and passwords are leaked, then the very first thing that the attackers do is try the same username and passwords on banking or other more critical sites.

Suddenly, your super secure password has all the resilience of a wet paper bag!

[scarletp]

From Original Poster

Thank you for the helpful responses.  I am looking into changing to a Non ISP address but need to do a bit of research as I do not find gmail user friendly for my needs.  

I did check whether the emails were listed in any 'pastes' and apparently the answer is No.  

Regards