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Glossary

Credential stuffing

Credential stuffing: Credential stuffing is when attackers take email-and-password pairs leaked in one breach and try them automatically on thousands of other sites.

Updated February 1, 2027

An example

A password leaked from an old forum account in 2019 is used to log in to your streaming, shopping and email accounts today.

Why it matters to you

It only works when passwords are reused. A password manager with a unique password per site makes it useless.

Where to go next

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See also

  • Password manager

    A password manager is an app that creates, stores and fills a different strong password for every account, locked behind one master password or your device's face or fingerprint unlock.

  • Data breach

    A data breach is a security incident in which a company's stored customer data, such as emails, passwords, Social Security numbers or card numbers, is stolen.