According to the latest data from threat exposure management platform NordStellar, 501 million unique email addresses were found in breached databases on the dark web in 2025. Although no user of online services can fully secure their personal information from data breaches, using burner or disposable email addresses can significantly reduce the risk.
“Reusing your primary email address across services increases exposure when data breaches occur,” says Domininkas Virbickas, product director at NordVPN. “Thus, alternatives offered by various service providers might be something you should consider starting to use in 2026.”
What is a burner email address?
A burner or disposable email address is a temporary address created for one-time or limited interactions, helping protect your primary inbox from spam, enhance privacy, and reduce the exposure of your real email address in data breaches.
“Burner email addresses are commonly used when signing up for online services or platforms you don’t fully trust, such as free trials, webinars, or gated content, or when you simply want to avoid mandatory registrations,” explains Virbickas. “Disposable email addresses are quick to set up and often self-destru
ct after a short period or some number of uses, helping protect your real email address from unwanted marketing messages or phishing attempts.”
How does a burner email address reduce the risk of a data breach?
Using a temporary email address does not prevent breaches from happening, but if they do occur, it reduces your exposure and limits the impact by:
- Keeping your primary email address out of breached databases.
- Preventing cross-service account linking.
- Reducing spam, phishing, and credential-stuffing risks.
“Think of disposable email addresses as damage control,” says Virbickas from NordVPN. “They dramatically reduce how exposed you are in the event of a data breach by making it harder for attackers to connect accounts, flood your inbox with scams, or reuse leaked credentials.”
Domininkas Virbickas, product director at NordVPNHow to use a burner email address correctly
- Pick a trusted service provider for your one-time or short-term tasks. Options to consider include 10 Minute Mail, Guerrilla Mail, EmailOnDeck, or TempMail.
- Use burner email addresses for nonessential services. Because many disposable email services lack end-to-end encryption and security controls, avoid using them for sensitive activities such as online banking, healthcare, or government services.
- Use them responsibly. Some people use burner email addresses for fraud and other malicious activities. Thus, some companies may block burner email domains to prevent abuse.
- For longer-term needs, consider alternatives such as email masking services (like NordPass) or email aliases (available in Gmail or Outlook), which forward messages to your main inbox while keeping your primary address private.
“Many disposable email service providers prioritize convenience over long-term protection, which means these services should be used thoughtfully and with caution,” says Virbickas. “When used responsibly and for low-risk sign-ups, they can be an effective way to keep your primary email address out of data breaches.”
