Everyone hates passwords and nobody is good at it
Why should you care about not using...
Older passwords
Hackers are using old, leaked passwords to scare victims in extortion emails. If you aren't changing your passwords enough, you might be fooled into thinking someone has recently breached your account when they have not, and are just using old data.
Any password for more than one site
Hackers will test common websites to see if the same credentials are used for different accounts. If you use the same password for different websites, their tactic works.
A lot of weak passwords
A bad actor can guess your bad password just by how much information there is of you on the internet. If you like the Giants, and your were born in 1983, a hacker can guess you might use those words in your weak password by using a dictionary attack.
There are easier ways to keep all passwords strong
use a password manager app
KeePass - a free desktop based application, KeePass can generate and store your passwords.
1Password - a desktop and mobile app that syncs up your passwords with various applications. You can try free for 30 days or sign up for $3/month for their personal plan.
LastPass - $24/year for a browser extension, mobile app, and desktop application. Family plans sync up "up to 6 users" for $48/year.
Dash Lane - Stores up to 50 passwords on one device for free version. $4/month version includes unlimited password storage synced across devices.
You still need a very strong master password for password managers.
do some quick tests if you are ever unsure of your passwords
Think your older passwords have been leaked? Check this database of leaked credentials.
Are you not sure your passwords are strong enough? Test them here.
Need a temporary strong, quick password? Use StrongPasswordGenerator.com as a quick fix.
the "do nots" you might not know
Never store your passwords in your browser
Storing your password in your browser can increase the damage done to you if you're hacked. This is different from purchased password manager extensions, which while I don't usually recommend, are better than saving passwords in the browser's settings.
yubikeys and titan keys are awesome
New toys exist that can make password authentication easier. The YubiKey works with phones and on desktops, and you don't even need a password for it. If you can't get rid of your Gmail, or use GSuite in your office, look into Google's new Titan Key.
Your weak passwords MIGHT DAMAGE SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE
Since companies can be held liable, if you use weak passwords at work, you can expose others' data without your intent. This happens more often than you think. If your iCloud or GDrive is ever hacked from a weak password, you might be exposing others to risks you might not realize with your information stored on the cloud.
in 2015, sharing passwords was considered illegal by a u.s. appeals court
While the decision had privacy advocates like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) concerned about how many American citizens are inadvertently violating this ruling, the ninth district court of appeals ruled "passwords can be a violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act."
This case occurred because an employee used "a former coworker's password to access one of the firm's databases," which was considered "an 'unauthorized' use of a computer system." While there is definitely concern this definition of abuse is the same thing as hacking, if you don’t share passwords, you avoid this conversation in the first place.