Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster says New Zealanders need to improve how they’re using passwords.

His warning comes because he’s concerned about the increased risk of privacy breaches caused by privacy spraying. That’s where hackers find one password and then try it on other accounts to see if it will work to open those as well. People recycling passwords for multiple accounts are falling victim.

"Our strong suggestion is for people to have a different password for each account they have. Making a password unique means if one account is hacked then there’s no chance it can also be used to open other accounts and create even more damage", Mr Webster says.

"Having unique passwords is a great way to make a hacker’s job far harder."

There are several other things people can do to help protect their personal information. Using a password manager to store all your passwords is a good fix and there are many different options, many of which are free.

People can also use long and strong passwords and change them immediately if they’ve been hacked. Turning on two-factor identification is another good layer of protection.

"Having your information breached on one account is bad enough, but by using a dedicated password and adding extra security steps you can help prevent hackers accessing other accounts and causing even more harm.

Personal information has value, so the more protection you have in place the better. Any step people can take to deter hackers is a good step to take and unique passwords are an excellent start."

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