Why is it bad to reuse passwords on multiple sites?

When it comes to passwords, people like to use the same passwords for pretty much everything they need to login to. It’s easy to remember and more convenient to do, but it’s actually one of the worst things you can do for your security online.

In 2022, over 24 billion passwords were successfully hacked. Using the same password for multiple accounts is basically a hackers delight because they are able to basically double dip into your several accounts. There are multiple different ways hackers can to get access to your accounts.

There are brute force attacks which are basically trial and error. They keep typing different passwords that a typical user would use till they finally gain access or quit. Another attempt is called a dictionary attack which basically uses a dictionary headword list to generate possible passwords. This is just the bare beginning of how people can get a hold of your passwords. But there are ways to protect yourself.

What can I do to protect myself?

The first step to be more secure is to have a separate, strong password for each account you have. The second step is to have your password be complex. A complex password would contain the following:

• Uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters (!,@,#,$, etc)
• Passwords should be anywhere between 8 to 20 characters long

What else can I do?

For a more thorough explanation of what makes a password strong, please check out our post “What makes a strong password?”. A few things to avoid is to not have any personal information in your password. Try not to use your name, family members names or birth dates. These are very easy to guess. Other things to avoid is to avoid repeated characters such as OOO or 999 and common sequences like ABC or 123.

If you need help with any other technology related questions, feel free to call SandStorm IT at 901-475-0275.