Many people reuse passwords across multiple accounts, making them vulnerable to hacking. Studies show that over half of people reuse passwords, and 13% use the same password for everything, including email, according to The Metro.
Experts advise against password reuse because email is often the key to many online accounts. A compromised email password can give hackers access to your entire digital life.
Surrey University's Professor Alan Woodward told The Metro, email accounts can be "the keys to your digital kingdom."
"People might think they have a strong password, but if you've reused it 25 times, it's not strong anymore," says Professor Woodward, a world-renowned specialist in cyber security, covert communications, and forensic computing.
"People also tend to think that the longer it is, the stronger it is. There's some evidence that's not true, because the longer you make, the more you tend to start using phrases, and they're easier to match.
"So you might use "mydoghasbigears" or "mydoghasbigears" but you transliterate all the Os to 0s and the Is to exclamation marks. Well, it's actually very easy to build dictionary attacks that take all that into account.
"The best password is the one you can't remember, and that's where password managers come in."
Creating strong, unique passwords for each account is difficult to remember. Password managers can generate strong, random passwords and store them securely.
Password managers also offer features like notifying users of data breaches and helping spot phishing attacks.
For those who don't use password managers, two-factor authentication is crucial. Two-factor authentication requires a second step to verify your identity, such as a code sent to your phone, making it harder for hackers to gain access even if they steal your password.
While using strong passwords and two-factor authentication may seem like an inconvenience, it's essential to protect yourself in today's online world.
