WIRED data breach
From Breaches, in the HARD wiki · Updated
This article is about the September 2025 breach of WIRED. For every breach, see Breaches.
The WIRED data breach exposed 2,364,431 accounts from wired.com in September 2025. The data taken includes dates of birth, names, physical addresses and email addresses and 4 more kinds of data.[1]
Have I Been Pwned verified it and added it to its search on 27 Dec 2025, 4 months later. It is the 294th largest of the 618 breaches in HARD’s list.
What was exposed
WIRED’s breach included 8 kinds of data. What each lets criminals do:
| Data | What it’s used for |
|---|---|
| Dates of birth | Used to prove who you are to banks and phone companies. |
| Names | Makes scam messages personal enough to believe. |
| Physical addresses | Used to prove who you are, and for scam letters and parcels. |
| Email addresses | Expect scam emails that name the company to look genuine. |
| Phone numbers | Expect scam texts and calls, and a higher risk of someone moving your number to their SIM. |
| Display names | Personal details that make scam messages more convincing. |
| Genders | Personal details that make scam messages more convincing. |
| Geographic locations | Roughly where you live. |
What to do
- Check whether you’re in it.Search your email address on Have I Been Pwned. It tells you which breaches it appears in, WIRED among them, without showing the data.
- Distrust messages that mention WIRED.Scammers use breach data to sound genuine. Don’t click links in emails or texts about the breach; go to the site yourself.
- Put a PIN on your phone account.Ask your mobile provider for a port-out PIN, so no one can move your number to their SIM.
- Freeze your credit.In the US, free at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. In Australia, ask Equifax, Experian and illion for a ban. No one can open credit in your name while it’s on.
Timeline
- : the breach, as best it can be dated.
- : Have I Been Pwned verifies the data and adds it to its search, 4 months later.
- : the entry was last updated.
Similar breaches
Breaches that leaked the same kinds of data, closest in time:
- Canadian Tire, October 2025, 38 million accounts
- Bouygues Telecom, August 2025, 5.7 million accounts
- Allianz Life, July 2025, 1.1 million accounts
- Hot Topic, October 2024, 57 million accounts
- Neiman Marcus, April 2024, 31 million accounts
- Odido, February 2026, 6.1 million accounts
See Breaches for all 618, and Updates for keeping your devices patched.
References
External links
- Have I Been Pwned, to check your email address
- wired.com, WIRED’s website