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All your passwords are pretty much useless (The 3:59, Ep. 40)

A hacker gave away millions of account credentials just for a little praise, proving that passwords are too easy to steal.

Ben Fox Rubin Former senior reporter
Ben Fox Rubin was a senior reporter for CNET News in Manhattan, reporting on Amazon, e-commerce and mobile payments. He previously worked as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and got his start at newspapers in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
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Bridget Carey Principal Video Producer
Bridget Carey is an award-winning reporter who helps you level-up your life -- while having a good time geeking out. Her exclusive CNET videos get you behind the scenes as she covers new trends, experiences and quirky gadgets. Her weekly video show, "One More Thing," explores what's new in the world of Apple and what's to come. She started as a reporter at The Miami Herald with syndicated newspaper columns for product reviews and social media advice. Now she's a mom who also stays on top of toy industry trends and robots. (Kids love robots.)
Expertise Consumer technology, Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, social media, mobile, robots, future tech, immersive technology, toys, culture Credentials
  • Bridget has spent over 18 years as a consumer tech reporter, hosting daily tech news shows and writing syndicated newspaper columns. She's often a guest on national radio and television stations, including ABC, CBS, CNBC and NBC.
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Ben Fox Rubin
Bridget Carey
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Maybe it's time to change that "12345" password.

 ImageZoo/Corbis

The latest bit of privacy news is a nice reminder that we all need to do a better job using two-step password protection. This time around, a hacker handed over 272 million account credentials in exchange for a simple pat on the back. That shows that passwords are so easy to steal that many hackers don't even value much of the information.

For today's podcast, we also touch on the latest twist in the Bitcoin founder saga and YouTube's reported plans to offer a paid TV service.

The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories of the day, brought to you by CNET Executive Editor Roger Cheng (currently on parental leave), Senior Writer Ben Fox Rubin and Producer Bryan VanGelder.

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