Which practice reduces the risk of credential theft?

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Using long, unique passwords with a mix of characters and enabling multi-factor authentication dramatically lowers the chance of credential theft. Long passwords are far harder to crack by guessing or brute force, and making each password unique to its site prevents a breach on one service from compromising others. Adding multi-factor authentication creates a second barrier—attackers would need both the password and the second factor (such as a code from an authenticator app or a hardware key) to gain access, which greatly reduces risk even if a password is stolen.

To put it in context, password hygiene matters: simple, easy-to-guess passwords are quickly compromised; reusing the same password across sites lets a single breach cascade across accounts; and storing passwords in plain text is an invitation for anyone who gets access to read them all. A password manager can help generate and store strong, unique passwords securely, making this practice practical and reliable.