To minimize the risk of password compromises after a data breach, which action is recommended?

• A. Use password-checking services like haveibeenpwned.com.
• B. Ignore breach and reuse the same password.
• C. Change the password without checking.
• D. Share passwords with trusted colleagues.

Answer: (A)

Verification and targeted action are key after a data breach. Using a password-checking service lets you see if your email or accounts have credentials that were exposed in breaches. If a match is found, you should immediately change those specific passwords on the affected sites and also avoid reusing the same password elsewhere. This approach minimizes risk by acting on concrete evidence rather than guessing, and it helps you identify where reuse is happening so you can switch to unique, strong passwords—ideally managed with a password manager and protected by two-factor authentication where available.

Why the other options aren’t as good: ignoring the breach and reusing the same password leaves you vulnerable; changing a password without checking could miss which accounts were actually compromised; sharing passwords with others is insecure and expands the attack surface.