Data breaches have become a defining risk of modern digital life. The Zynga breach is one of the most significant in recent memory — and if you've ever had an account with the affected service, your personal data may be circulating among cybercriminals right now.
This guide explains exactly what happened, what data was taken, and how you can check whether your information was exposed — for free, in 30 seconds.
What Happened?
The details of this breach are covered in the FAQ section below, where we answer the most important questions clearly and concisely. The key facts: who was affected, what data was taken, how attackers got in, and what the consequences have been.
Why Does This Still Matter?
Many people assume that because a breach happened years ago, the risk has passed. In reality, stolen data is sold, traded, and reused for years after a breach. Credentials from old breaches are used in credential stuffing attacks — automated attempts to log in to your other accounts using the same email and password combination.
If you reused the same password across multiple sites, one old breach can unlock dozens of your current accounts.
How to Check If You Were Affected
The fastest way is to use our free breach checker. Enter your email address and we'll scan it against known breach databases instantly — no signup required.
If your email appears in a breach, you'll see exactly which breaches affected it and what type of data was exposed. That tells you precisely where to start.
What to Do If You Were Affected
If your data was in this breach — or any breach — take these steps:
- Change the affected password immediately — especially if you reused it anywhere else.
- Enable two-factor authentication on every account that supports it, starting with email and banking.
- Check for suspicious activity on financial accounts if payment data was involved.
- Be alert for phishing — attackers use breach data to craft convincing personalised scam messages.
- Freeze your credit if your Social Security number, passport, or government ID was exposed.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Zynga data breach happen?
Zynga disclosed the breach in September 2019. The data was reportedly accessed in September 2019 and later sold online. The breach was claimed by GnosticPlayers, the same hacker responsible for the Canva breach in May 2019.
What games were affected by the Zynga breach?
Words with Friends (iOS and Android) was the primary game affected, with approximately 218 million accounts compromised. Draw Something and Zynga With Friends were also mentioned in reports of the breach.
What data was stolen in the Zynga breach?
Stolen data included names, email addresses, login IDs, hashed passwords (SHA-1 with salt), phone numbers, Facebook IDs (if accounts were connected), and Zynga account IDs.
How safe are SHA-1 passwords?
SHA-1 is considered a weak hashing algorithm for passwords. With modern GPU hardware, SHA-1 hashes can be cracked at very high speeds. Passwords that were common words or short strings are likely already decrypted. If you reused your Words with Friends password elsewhere, change it immediately.
How do I check if my Zynga account was in the breach?
Enter your email address in the free checker at Scan My Shadow. If your email appears, change any passwords you reused from your Zynga account on other services.
Sources
- Zynga – Statement on September 2019 security incident
- Have I Been Pwned – Zynga breach entry
- The Hacker News – Zynga breach report