Stuffing your credentials
There's been a sharp rise in attempts by criminals to use stolen credentials to break into accounts, usually financial ones. The technique, known as credential stuffing, is fuelled by the chronic failure of organisations to protect the information they hold about us. In its State of the Internet report, Akamai says it recorded 30 billion malicious login attempts in the 8 months from November 2017. The approach involves systematically trying stolen credentials in the hope that a user will have used the same password for multiple sites. Once they find a successful combination, criminals can assume an identity, gather information, or steal money and goods. This is why reusing passwords is so dangerous, and why we recommend Password Managers as the best way to stay safe.