IDENTITY UNDER ATTACK · EPISODE 21

The Password Reuse Chain

A food-delivery service Jordan hadn't used in years had leaked its passwords. Easy fix, he thought. Then he read the last line again.

Identity Under Attack, episode 21: The Password Reuse Chain. Fragment 21, the password.

Jordan's old password was long and hard to guess. Its only weakness was that it opened six doors.

8:05 AM. Monday.

The email was polite and slightly embarrassed. A food-delivery service Jordan had last used three years ago wanted him to know that some customer information had been exposed, including email addresses and passwords.

A notice from a food-delivery service saying customer emails and passwords were exposed, and recommending Jordan change his password there and anywhere else he used it.

Easy, Jordan thought. He didn't even use that account any more.

Then he read the last line again: and anywhere else you used the same one.

He opened a notebook and started writing down where else that password lived. He stopped at six.

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