A villainous hacker can do a lot with a simple email address. They can try to “brute force” their way into any number of online accounts by using a list of commonly used passwords, giving them access to your digital life if yours isn’t strong and unique. They can add your email to a spam mailing list to earn a quick buck. They can set up a fake social media account for you and trick your friends or family into downloading malware, or giving them cash or information. They can send you phishing emails to trick you into downloading malware that could steal your data, or hold it ransom for money. Or they could sell it to other hackers on the dark web who’ll do all those things instead.