One of the most common exploits cyber criminals use is by using passwords from data breaches or leaks. For example, if you use the same password across most platforms and one of them experiences a breach, your email address and password could end up in the wild west of the internet. Alternatively, if someone has access to your email address but not your password, they can target you with phishing links or sketchy attachments that install malicious software (malware) on your system and grant them access.