Skip to main content

If your data is found on the dark web, Firefox Monitor will let you know

If you’ve been ‘pwned,’ Firefox will let you know. After beta testing the new Firefox Monitor service this summer, Firefox is finally rolling out its credential monitoring tool to all users. Firefox Monitor, which is based on security researcher Troy Hunt’s Have I Been Pwned (HIP) database, will notify you if it spots your email address on the dark web. By alerting users when their credentials are found on the dark web, Firefox hopes that the Monitor service will motivate vigilant consumers to change their passwords to avoid an even larger data breach.

It should be noted that the service is free to all users, and Firefox Monitor, despite the name, isn’t restricted to users of the Firefox browser. Users can type monitor.firefox.com into any browser of choice to enroll in the service. Once you’re on the Firefox Monitor webpage, you can enter your email address. Firefox Monitor will check your email against the database of Have I Been Pwned to see if it’s found on the dark web.

Recommended Videos

“We’ll let you know if your email address and/or personal info was involved in a publicly known past data breach,” Firefox said in a blog post. “Once you know where your email address was compromised you should change your password and any other place where you’ve used that password.”

As part of Have I Been Pwned, Hunt has collected nearly 520 million email addresses to date from real-world breaches. And even though the Firefox Monitor service doesn’t offer more anything more than Hunt’s service, Firefox hopes that it could leverage its more recognizable name to bring more awareness to the topic.

Even if your email address isn’t found on databases compiled from existing or past breaches, Firefox Monitor will continue to scan your email for future breaches. If you’re a victim in the future, the service will let you know when it learns about it. By being informed of a hack, users can take proactive measures to ensure that their login credentials are safe.

As a general precaution, users can take steps like using unique and complex passwords for each individual site they visit, changing their passwords regularly, and using a password manager to manage all their passwords. Additional security steps include enabling two-factor or multi-factor authentication or using a security key.

“Firefox Monitor is just one of many things we’re rolling out this fall to help people stay safe while online,” the company said. “Recently, we announced our road map to anti-tracking and in the next couple of months, we’ll release more features to arm and protect people’s rights online.”

Chuong Nguyen
Silicon Valley-based technology reporter and Giants baseball fan who splits his time between Northern California and Southern…
This dual-screen Lenovo ThinkBook 2-in-1 laptop is almost $1,600 off
Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 4 rear view showing e-ink display on lid.

Are you looking for 2-in-1 laptop deals but haven't found an impressive offer yet? You may want to take a look at the offer from Lenovo, which includes a 46% discount for the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 4. Its estimated value of $3,459 may seem inflated, but it's on sale for a much more affordable $1,868, for savings of $1,591. This is a clearance sale though, which means once stocks are gone, we're not sure if you'll get another chance at this bargain. You're going to have to proceed with your purchase immediately if you don't want to miss out.

Why you should buy the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 4 2-in-1 laptop

Read more
This Gigabyte gaming laptop with RTX 4060, 32GB of RAM is on sale for just $1,000
The Gigabyte G6 gaming laptop on a white background.

Gamers with a budget of $1,000 for their next device: Set your sights on the Gigabyte G6 gaming laptop. It's a relatively affordable option that greatly exceeds expectations, and it's on sale from Best Buy with a $200 discount on its original price of $1,200. We highly recommend proceeding with your purchase as soon as possible though, as there's no telling when the offer will expire. The gaming laptop could be back to its regular price as soon as tomorrow, so hurry!

Why you should buy the Gigabyte G6 gaming laptop

Read more
The Alienware Aurora gaming PC with RTX 5070 is on sale
Alienware Aurora R16 sitting on a coffee table.

The Alienware Aurora R16, one of the most powerful gaming PCs you can buy today, is currently on sale from Dell. This configuration with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card is available with a $250 discount, which brings its price down from $2,650 to $2,400. It's still expensive, but that's understandable considering the capabilities of this machine. Consider the savings a bonus if you're interested in buying the gaming desktop anyway, but you're going to have to hurry with your purchase as it may be back to its regular price sooner than you expect.

Why you should buy the Alienware Aurora R16 gaming PC

Read more