Cyber: Password Reuse In Disguise: An Often-missed Risky Workaround

When security teams discuss credential-related risk, the focus typically falls on threats such as phishing, malware, or ransomware. These attack methods continue to evolve and rightly command attention. However, one of the most persistent and underestimated risks to organizational security remains far more ordinary.

Near-identical password reuse continues to slip past security controls, often unnoticed, even in environments with established password policies.

Most organizations understand that using the exact same password across multiple systems introduces risk. Security policies, regulatory frameworks, and user awareness training consistently discourage this behavior, and many employees make a genuine effort to comply. On the surface, this suggests that password reuse should be a diminishing problem.

In reality, attackers continue to gain access through credentials that technically meet policy requirements. The reason is not always blatant password reuse, but a subtler workaround known as near-identical password reuse.

Near-identical password reuse occurs when users make small, predictable changes to an existing password rather than creating a completely new one.

While these changes satisfy formal password rules, they do little to reduce real-world exposure. Here are some classic examples:

Another common scenario occurs when organizations issue a standard starter password to new employees, and instead of replacing it entirely, users make incremental changes over time to remain compliant. In both cases, the password changes appear legitimate, but the underlying structure remains largely intact.

These small variations are easy to remember, which is precisely why they are so common. The average employee is expected to manage dozens of credentials across work and personal systems, often with different and sometimes conflicting requirements. As organizations increasingly rely on software-as-a-service applications, this burden continues to grow.

Specops research found that a 250-person organization may collectively manage an estimated 47,750 passwords, significantly expanding the attack surface. Under these conditions, near-identical password reuse becomes a practical workaround rather than an act of negligence.

From a user's perspective, a tweaked password feels different enough to meet compliance expectations while remaining memorable. These micro-changes satisfy password history rules and complexity requirements, and in the user's mind, the require

Source: The Hacker News