Just about every website and every APP we use these days require a password.
There is much debate as to what in an effective password. Some say it should have complexity (a range of uppercase, lowercase, characters and numbers) and a lot of professionals now recommend it is actually good to put a bunch of words together with complexity.
But one thing we are sure of, it is a bad idea to use the same password on multiple websites and devices, no matter how good the password is.
Why Its a Bad Idea Basics
Everyone has an email address. Most times when we sign up to a website or register, our username is usually our email address, or the very least linked to it.
Your email address is public knowledge and something you do not keep secret. People and organisations need to openly know your email address to send you emails, kind of like your street address.
The problem with your email address being public knowledge, and your username, is it’s a public identifier. It is a way for almost anyone to identify you. If someone knows your email address, unless you have got it hidden, someone can simply type it into a Facebook search and see who you are, what you look like, photos, partners etc.
This is not really a problem until one of your passwords are compromised. If one of you passwords linked to your email address has been listed somewhere where other can access, they will potentially be able to access such said site using your credentials.
This will compromise your account for one website in which is pertains to, but what if you use that password for multiple sites?
How Some Can Use Your Same Passwords On Multiple Sites
Lets just say i am using the email address me@mysite.com and password “mepassword” for the website www.somesite.com.
If for one of the reasons I will discuss this password is leaked online, someone could try and use the same username for some other site. If you use a different password for every site you sign up for it will not matter, it wont work.
But if you continue to use the same password for every site, there is a very real chance other will be able to use this password on sites you may also be using.
Ways Your Password Can Become Public
Bad Websites
Not all website owners will posses the same integrity and respect for your private data.
If you have signed up to w website, which does not take security serious, or is simply fake, they can release or use your password to access other sites you may have used with the same credentials.
Website Leaks
Sometimes websites get hacked as well. There are some very smart people out there and they are always finding ways to break the security of a website and release all the data, content and user details to the public.
Once they do this they list huge amounts of data and details online where other people can see, and use your email and passwords on other sites.
Computers Been Hacked
If your computer has been hacked and you list your passwords in something simple like a word document, hackers and spyware recipients can see, us and distribute your passwords.
How to Prevent It
The simplest way is to create a new password for every website or account you use.
I know what you are thinking, its too hard to remember all those passwords for all those different websites and accounts.
You do not have to remember them all
There are some very good password managers out there like 1Password or LastPass which can remember all the passwords for you, so you only have to remember one. The password for the password manger.
