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Last year, more than 501 million unique email addresses were found among breached databases that popped up on the dark web, according to new data from NordVPN's NordStellar threat management segment. As a result of the data breaches, those addresses all became susceptible to spam, phishing attacks, and account takeovers.

Using a disposable burner address instead of your primary one doesn't eliminate such threats, but it does reduce your exposure to them. Such addresses act as damage control, NordVPN product director Domininkas Virbickas said in a news release. In the event of a data breach, a burner address makes it more difficult for attackers to connect your different accounts, fill your inbox with spam and scam messages, or reuse your leaked credentials.

"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," Virbickas explained. "Disposable email addresses are quick to set up and often self-destruct after a short period or some number of uses, helping protect your real email address from unwanted marketing messages or phishing attempts."