The risks of reusing passwords

Thousands of people have contacted us for help with data breach claims. Victims can be entitled to make a claim for compensation. The risks of reusing passwords is one of the first things people may need to consider.

The advice is to never reuse the same passwords and user credentials across different platforms. Despite this, people still do it. It means that being the victim of one simple breach could lead to several accounts being accessed. In fact, it could even mean those credentials are used to hack into a business you are employed with.

There’s a great deal that many people may not consider when it comes to reusing passwords and usernames. The mindset needs to change!

The direct risks of reusing passwords

The direct risks of reusing passwords are obvious. If those credentials are hacked in an attack, fraudsters and criminals could gain access to other accounts that belong to you.

With over 2 billion Facebook according to recent figures,  that’s one easy avenue for hackers to exploit. But it gets worse, and it isn’t just about criminals accessing or stealing your account data.

How many of you log into platforms these days using your Facebook profile? Since this feature has been introduced, many have used it as an easy way of not having to remember too many access credentials. But what it does mean is that your Facebook credentials could be the key to almost anything else. It may not matter how secure Facebook is, despite the fact that have had their fair share of data breach incidents lately. If your credentials are hacked elsewhere and they’re the same as your Facebook access credentials, the risks could be monumental.

People must avoid the risks of reusing passwords

The answer is simple: people must avoid the risks of reusing passwords by not reusing the same credentials between different platforms.

Although victims of an incident may be entitled to make a claim for data breach compensation, it’s up to each individual to make sure they take the right measures to not expose themselves to further breaches. The risks of reusing passwords are too great and should always be avoided; especially if you use the same credentials for accessing work portals as well. If your information is used to try and hack your employer, a simple data breach could end up as a monumental hacking of information.

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