Travellers are being urged to use disposable email addresses for each trip to reduce the risk of data breaches. The advice comes after NordStellar data revealed that 501 million unique email addresses ended up in breached databases on the dark web in 2025.
Domininkas Virbickas, product director at NordVPN, says using your everyday email address increases exposure if a data breach occurs. “Think of disposable email addresses as damage control,” he explains. “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.”
A burner email is a temporary address created for one-time or limited use. It helps protect your main email from spam, reduces exposure in data breaches, and protects privacy. Virbickas notes that disposable email addresses are quick to set up and often self-destruct after a short period or some number of uses.
While using a temporary email doesn’t prevent breaches, it limits the impact by keeping your everyday email out of breached databases. It also prevents cross-service account linking and reduces spam, phishing, and credential-stuffing risks.
Experts recommend picking a trusted service provider such as 10 Minute Mail, Guerrilla Mail, EmailOnDeck, or TempMail. However, because many disposable email services lack end-to-end encryption, avoid using them for sensitive activities like online banking, health care, or government services. For longer-term needs, consider email masking services like NordPass or email aliases in Gmail or Outlook.
