Tag: Password Reuse

Why is password re-use a bad thing?

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Using the same password across multiple accounts is generally not a good idea for the following reasons:

Security Breaches: If one account gets hacked, the hacker will be able to access all other accounts using the same password.

Lack of Complexity: It is difficult to create a complex password that is unique for each account. Using the same password may mean using a less complex password that is easier for hackers to guess or crack.

Phishing Attacks: Phishing attacks can trick users into revealing their login credentials. If the same password is used across multiple accounts, the hacker can use the stolen credentials to access all the other accounts.

Personal Information: If a password is compromised, a hacker could use personal information from one account to guess the passwords for other accounts.

Compromised Devices: If a device is lost or stolen, a hacker may be able to access all accounts that use the same password.

Overall, using the same password is risky and could lead to a significant compromise of your online security. It’s always recommended to use unique, complex passwords for each account and enable two-factor authentication whenever possible.

Password Security

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As I pondered how to best discuss password security, I wondered if I could find a nice history of when passwords came into use and how badly they have been handled over time. Little did I know, we have been quite bad with them since their inception. The resource I found for the subject did such a wonderful job that I am opting instead to wrap his original work into this post. Major credit and props to Troy Hunt for his wonderfully crafted article, https://stealthbits.com/blog/a-history-of-passwords/. I do hope that you will give it a full read and perhaps click on an ad while you are there to show appreciation of his work. I have also been a fan of another piece of his work; https://haveibeenpwned.com/ which is a site that I have used many times. This is a site that will tell you if your email address has been discovered in one of the many multitudes of email/pswd caches out there. If you find your email address is listed there, just reset your password and move on. There is no cause for alarm unless you have that email address tied to something like… your back account. Now if you are one who abuses password by reusing the same one all over, then you may have an issue. If that is the case, then it is time that you start changing up those passwords so that one compromise doesn’t hand over the keys to your email kingdom. Oh I can hear you know… but I don’t have anything worthwhile in my email box, nothing that anyone would find interesting. Sound familiar. think of all of the places that you give your email address to in order to log in or perhaps to verify your existence. How many accounts do you think a black hat hacker could gain control of just by being able to lo into a web mail utility somewhere posing as you with your oh so clever password (yeah Password1)?

Really read Troy’s article, drink it in as it will help you understand why passwords are a bigger deal than you may think. If you want to discuss the topic more, please, drop a comment below. If you liked this article, please come back for more and feel free to mash an ad on your way in or out to help the cause.