“Why should I scratch my brains and ponder on how to pick a username? I’ll spend my brainpower on the password, let the username be that same old…”
Wait! You need to stop there and read this – A recent study was able to discover real-life identities by just cross-referencing usernames. And, do you know they did that 42% of the time. The rates can go even higher if you have a weak username.
Most of us pay a lot of caution when selecting a password, but are we that careful when selecting a username? Or, are you one of those who has been using the same username across all the accounts for decades? If you fall into the latter, the consequences can be dire.
Through this blog post, we’ll try and understand why it is so important to have a distinct username for all your accounts, how you can create a unique username, and more such stuff.
Just To Reinstate – Choosing A Strong Password Is Very Important
There is no denying the fact that while you should choose a strong username, side by side you should even select a strong and distinct password. A password manager is something that can help you in this regard.
TweakPass for instance is one of the passwords around. It is available for smartphones (iOS and Android), desktops and laptops (macOS and Windows), and as a browser extension. It can help you create strong passwords and save them in one place. You would never have to worry about remembering your passwords and other crucial details ever again.
How To Use TweakPass Password Manager?
1. Download, install and run TweakPass
2. Run the setup file and follow on-screen instructions
3. Make sure you choose the master password carefully
4. Allow TweakPass to save usernames and passwords
5. Generate secure passwords using random password generators. In my opinion, you can even use this to generate unique usernames as well.
6. You can also use TweakPass across devices
Why Is It So Important To Pick A Strong and Distinct Username
And even more importantly, what are the dangers if you are tagging along that age-old username that you have already exhausted across tens, if not hundreds of accounts –
1. Usernames Are Public
Unlike your passwords that are hidden, your usernames are public. Threat actors can easily build online profiles using these same usernames and then god knows what all damages they can do to you. Not to mention, random people and nosy advertisers can easily find a way to you too.
2. Same Username Invites Social Engineering Attacks
Let’s assume, you have one username across all your social media accounts, online forums, work-related accounts, etc. This way, a person knowing your username will be able to access all about your life, your work, and other details making you vulnerable to a myriad of cyberattacks with the help of social engineering.
Leave aside cyberattacks, cybercriminals will get a lot of hints about your passwords right from your social networking accounts. That way it won’t be difficult to hack into your passwords
3. A Unique Username Acts As A Strong Second Line Of Defense
A distinct username can help you even if you have used a similar password elsewhere because then a malicious threat actor won’t be able to perform something credential stuffing because you now have a distinct username
How To Choose A Username
1. Never Ever Use The Same Username
Going forward, whenever you are creating email accounts, e-commerce shopping portal logins, selecting a username for various applications at your office or for any other account for that matter ensure that you do not use the same username as you had used in a previous account.
2. Select An Uncommon Username That’s Not Available Online
Just as important it is to choose a distinct and strong password that no one can guess or hack, you should use the same approach for selecting a strong username for yourself. Even if it is not as tough as your password, at least ensure that it is not something that someone can find online – For example, your maiden name, your pet’s name, a username of another social media profile, etc.
3. Personal Details Are A Big No-No
Never keep a username that has parts of your phone number, car number, debit/ credit card PIN, address, full name, or any such detail.
4. Use A Random Username Generator
In this day and age, you can always use a smart tool like NordPass Username Generator to generate secure, unique, fun usernames, handles, gamer tags for a variety of social media accounts. For example, if you are looking for a unique and fun Twitter handle that hasn’t yet been taken, you can always turn to NordPass Username Generator. Here you can even choose your desired length, category, and several other options to come up with a username that no miscreant can think of in the wildest of dreams.
5. Don’t Create Usernames Synonymous To Each Other
If you have created a username for one account, the username for another account should have absolutely no relation to the previous one. This means, for example- if the username of one password is creative.artist, the username of another account shouldn’t be theater.lover because the latter has a connection to the previous one.
Wrapping Up
Did you find value in this post? We hope that we have cemented the importance of choosing a strong and distinct username. And, in your quest on how to choose a username, do bring aboard others too – people you care for! For more such stuff, keep reading Tweak Library.