Password security helps prevent unauthorized access, while weak or reused credentials can expose accounts, systems, and sensitive data.
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Background for this topic.
Passwords are secret strings used to verify identity and control access to accounts, devices, applications, and services. They remain a common authentication method, but their security depends mainly on secrecy, length, and uniqueness rather than predictable complexity rules. A password reused across services can expose multiple accounts if one service is compromised; short, common, or previously leaked passwords are more susceptible to guessing and automated credential-stuffing attacks.
Practical defenses include using a password manager to generate and store a distinct, long password for each service, blocking known compromised passwords, and enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) where available. Organizations should protect stored passwords with slow, salted one-way hashing, restrict and monitor authentication attempts, and provide secure recovery processes. Password changes are most useful after suspected compromise or exposure, rather than as routine changes that encourage predictable variations. Security teams should also treat password databases and reset mechanisms as sensitive assets during vulnerability assessment and incident response.
Attackers use scam security checks to steal victims' government documents, photos, banking information, and email passwords, researchers warn.
Attackers used adversary-in-the-middle attacks to steal passwords, hijack sign-in sessions and skip authentication and then use victim mailboxes to launch BEC attacks against other targets.
A large-scale phishing campaign stole passwords, hijacked a user’s sign-in session and skipped the authentication process even if MFA was enabled
Twice in the past month KrebsOnSecurity has heard from readers who've had their accounts at big-three credit bureau Experian hacked and updated with a new email address that wasn't theirs. In both cases the readers used password managers to select strong, unique passwords for their Experian accounts. Research suggests identity thieves were able to hijack the accounts simply by signing up for new accounts at Experian using the victim's personal information and a different email address.