To think that using your email to log into MN is not 'more secure'?

[SummerNights1986]

Just that really.

I've always logged in with my username but now we have to log in with our email address.

People's email addresses are hardly kept private - lots of people know mine, including multiple family and friends - and of course, any bank/service provider/offer/competition/doctor/dentist and so on.

I tend to use the same password, or a close variation of it for many things. And i'm pretty sure that if, for instance, my dh or one of my sisters or my bestfriend wanted to try and bust into my MN account (not that I actually think that would happen!) then they'd have a much easier time of it using my email address than trying to guess some random username that I've made up.

AIBU?

[KatharineClifton]

I tend to use the same password, or a close variation of it for many things.

If you are concerned about security then stop doing this.

[DolphinsPlayground]

Yanbu

[ilovesooty]

Change your password. That's basic security.

[SummerNights1986]

Katharine, i'm really not concerned at all - just more curious. I can't understand the rationale behind it.

I know I should have a different password for everything but I have so many online accounts and log ins for various things there's no way i'd keep on track of them. I'm pretty sure a lot of people are probably the same.

[TrashPanda]

I thought it was more to do with people seeing usernames on the talk boards then using password breaking programs to hack the accounts. Not people you know guessing your username

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

YABU. The point is that if you use your username, any hacker interested in this site has a list of usernames readily available - one part of the information needed to log in - they only need to brute force the password.

A hacker looking at this site can't tell what email addresses people use - by requiring login by password the hacker would have to brute force the email and the password and get the right combination. This is near impossible.

If you struggle to remember passwords write them down, use your browsers password manager, or use a dedicated password manager eg LastPass. You can also set up 2-step verification on critical accounts like email/PayPal. This requires your password and your mobile phone to log on to a new device.

[RockNRollNerd]

To login to MN you need two bits of information - a login name (was your username, now your email address) and a password. One of those is freely available on the site for everyone to see (your username). By making your login name have to be your email address you're automatically making it that bit harder for someone to hack your account. It's not suppsoed to be foolproof it's just supposed to make it a bit harder. Good IT security uses all these little babysteps to build up to something that is much more secure.

[AnnaMarlowe]

Just set up an email account solely for MN use. Don't use your name in the address. Problem solved.