The forgotten email account you have not checked in years could be handing hackers the keys to your entire digital life

If you’ve got an old email account out there that you no longer use or even log into, then you could be putting yourself at risk of hackers and scammers. 

Unfortunately, tech scams and hacks are becoming more common and more complex. 

However, there are some things you can do to protect yourself, like making sure you have a secure password, updating your phone’s operating system, and even using free online tools to keep your details off the internet. 

But if you happen to have an old email account still open but unused, you could be placing yourself at risk. 

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An old email account can be an easy way in for hackers

Depending on your age, there’s a good chance you set up your first email account when you were still at school. 

And, if you did set it up while you were still at school, there’s an equally good chance that it’s got a slightly cringey address like sassychick91 or bigdog69.

So, it stands to reason that you probably don’t use it anymore. 

However, if you do have a long-forgotten email account out there, then you could be at risk of having your details hacked. 

Old email accounts can be an easy way for hackers to gain access to your other accounts by using the ‘forgotten password’ function. 

Often, older email accounts serve as a backup for newer ones, so a hacker could gain access to your current email by getting into the old one. 

This can be a particular problem if you don’t regularly check your old account, as you’re likely to miss any warning emails or suspicious activity. 

Another thing to check is the activity log to see if there are any unfamiliar devices or locations, and scan through the settings to see if any rules or filters have been applied. 

It’s also a good idea to update the recovery data to remove old phone numbers or secondary accounts. 

Here’s what to do if you think your account has been compromised

A good way to check if your account has been compromised is to use the free Have I Been Pwned online tool, which will tell you if your email address has appeared in any global leaks. 

If it has, try not to panic, but you should take some steps straight away to try to keep yourself secure. 

Firstly, change your password immediately – a good password should be 16 characters or more, unique to each account, and contain a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters as well as symbols.

One good way to do it is to make up a memorable passphrase from four or five random words and then add in some numbers and special characters, or use a password manager to create one. 

Next, set up multi-factor authentication – or MFA – to add an extra layer of security. 

If the email address is used to log into other services or sites, such as your online banking or PayPal account, then change all of those passwords, too. 

If the email account in question is old and you no longer need it, you can also delete it. 

But before you do so, make sure you check all the services and sites linked to the address and then move them to your new one. 

Then wait a few weeks to see if any important emails come through. 

If they don’t, you can delete the account through the provider. 

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