New Year's Password Resolutions: Don’t Reset, Just Relax

You’ve probably heard the advice: “Change your passwords every few months to stay safe.” Here’s the truth: that’s outdated guidance, and in the real world, it almost always does more harm than good.

When people are forced to change passwords constantly, they usually just add a number to the end (Password1, Password2…) or make other small tweaks that are easy to remember . . . and easy for hackers to guess. Instead of making you safer, it makes your passwords weaker.

So when should you change a password?

✅  If a website tells you there’s been a data breach. They’ll usually send an email or show a banner when you log in. Change it right away.

✅  If you’ve reused the same password on multiple sites. (Don't be embarrassed, we’re all guilty of this.) Pick your most important accounts - email, bank, medical - and make sure that each of these has a unique password.

✅  If your password is weak. Short passwords, obvious words (like “password123”), or personal info (birthdays, pet names) are easy to crack. A strong password is long, random, and unique (emphasis on looooooong).

What about password managers?

If remembering dozens of unique passwords sounds impossible, a password manager can help. It stores all your passwords securely and fills them in automatically. I’m happy to walk you through setting one up if you’re interested; it’s easier than it sounds.

Bottom line: Don’t stress about changing passwords just because it’s a new year. Focus on making sure your important accounts have strong, unique passwords. That’s the real security upgrade.