Why reusing the same password is so risky

Using one password across many sites feels efficient until one of those sites is breached. Then attackers try that same password everywhere else — and it works.

1. Understand the attack: once a password leaks, criminals automatically try it against your email, banking, and shopping accounts. This is called credential stuffing.
2. Recognise the chain reaction: one weak site you forgot about can hand over your most important accounts.
3. Check haveibeenpwned.com to see whether a password you reuse has already leaked.
4. Start with your most important accounts — email and banking — and give each a unique password now.
5. Use a password manager so unique passwords everywhere is effortless rather than impossible.
6. Pay special attention to your email password, because it can reset most of the others.