If you've ever had an account or relationship with Quora, it's worth checking whether your personal data was exposed in this incident. Here's what happened, what data was involved, and what to do about it.
What Happened
Quora, the question-and-answer platform, disclosed a data breach in December 2018 after discovering unauthorized access to its systems by a malicious third party. Approximately 100 million user accounts were affected.
What Data Was Exposed
The exposed data included names, email addresses, hashed passwords, data imported from linked networks (such as when signing up via a connected account), and public content such as questions and answers. Anonymous question/answer authorship was not compromised, as Quora stated that mapping was stored separately.
Why This Still Matters
Exposed data doesn't expire. It's sold, traded, and reused for years, fueling credential stuffing attacks — automated attempts to reuse your email and password combination across other sites. If you reused a password anywhere, one old exposure can compromise several current accounts.
How to Check If You Were Affected
Use our free breach checker below — enter your email and we'll scan it against known breach databases instantly, no signup required.
What to Do If You Were Affected
- Change any reused password immediately, starting with your most sensitive accounts.
- Enable two-factor authentication wherever it's offered.
- Monitor financial and health accounts closely if that kind of data was involved.
- Watch for phishing — exposed data is often used to craft convincing scam messages.
- Freeze your credit if your SSN or government ID number was exposed.
👉 Check your own exposure in 30 seconds → scan your email free.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Quora data breach happen?
Quora discovered the unauthorized access on 30 November 2018 and publicly disclosed the breach on 3 December 2018, notifying approximately 100 million affected users.
What data was stolen in the Quora breach?
Names, email addresses, hashed passwords, data imported from linked accounts, and public content (questions, answers, comments) were exposed. Quora stated that anonymous posting identities were not compromised.
How do I check if my Quora account was affected?
Use the free checker at Scan My Shadow with your email address. If it appears, change your Quora password, especially if you reused it elsewhere.
Did Quora force a password reset after the breach?
Yes, Quora logged out and reset passwords for all potentially affected users as a precautionary security measure.
Was payment data affected in the Quora breach?
Quora does not process payments directly on most of its platform, and no payment card information was reported as part of the compromised data.