As a result, if a hacker can breach your email, they can quickly get into your photo storage, social media, shopping, gaming, streaming, and other accounts. So many things you do online is tied to one of your accounts. Why your old email accounts may need to be deletedĮmail addresses are a weak link in cybersecurity. Here’s what I learned, so you don’t make the same mistakes. And, because I failed to take a few simple steps before hitting delete, I ended up making a bad situation a thousand times worse. I decided better safe than sorry and deleted my entire email address.Īlthough my instinct was good, I acted on impulse. Which made me think: Could I be sure this was a minor breach, and not a major security problem? Hackers might be using my email for other nefarious ends. That address happened to be an old one I’d had since high school. That means this brat had not only stolen my Netflix and wreaked havoc on my algorithm, but also breached the email connected to my account. When I requested a new password, I discovered the email had been changed. I found out about this when my wife called complaining she was locked out of my streaming account. I once had the kind of experience that reminds you the future is both amazing and absurd: A Peruvian teenager stole my Netflix account.
