Why every website should have a unique password
Password reuse turns one breach into many account takeovers. Learn how unique credentials limit the blast radius.
How reuse spreads damage
When one service leaks login data, attackers test the same email and password elsewhere. This automated practice is called credential stuffing. A reused password can expose unrelated accounts.
Unique credentials contain the breach
If each site has a different password, a leak from one service does not directly reveal the credential for another. The email address may still be known, so multi-factor authentication remains valuable.
Three ways to achieve uniqueness
You can use a password manager, passkeys, or a deterministic method with a unique label per service. The method matters less than reliably avoiding reuse and maintaining recovery.
Protect high-value accounts first
Email, banking, mobile carrier, cloud storage, and primary social accounts can be used to reset other services. Give these accounts unique credentials, strong second factors, and current recovery codes.
A simple reuse audit
List your most important accounts without writing passwords. Mark where you suspect reuse, then change those credentials one at a time. Start with email and financial services.