My 140 reused passwords finally came back to bite me. Here’s how I fixed it

Reusing passwords was once a common practice among internet users, but the consequences can be severe. An individual who had been guilty of this habit for years learned the hard way when their data was exposed in a breach. The breach impacted far more accounts than anticipated, leading to a comprehensive assessment of their digital footprint.

This individual had been using a secure, random password since 2009, but it turned out they had used it over 140 times across numerous accounts. Password managers were not as widespread at the time, and Chrome's built-in password manager only started generating passwords in 2018. This individual had signed up for numerous sites using the same password, unaware of the potential risks. They eventually set up alerts to monitor for any compromised passwords and began using password managers to generate complex credentials.

Over time, they began changing some of their most important accounts and monitored their accounts for any signs of leaks. However, they were surprised to discover the extent of their reuse when it was too late. A breach of a defunct app they had signed up for months ago revealed that their password had been compromised, and the count was now at 140.

They resolved to change every login that included the password, starting with Google's Password Manager and Proton Pass. The process was time-consuming, but it was a necessary step in safeguarding their digital identity.