Usernames protect you from hacking and social engineering: Phishing is a common social engineering scam.
This is where the value of strong and unique usernames for each account really comes into play. In the aftermath of an attack, cybercriminals often try to log in to many different accounts using combinations of stolen passwords and usernames with a strategy known as credential stuffing.
Usernames can protect you during a data breach: The most important function of a secure username is to protect you during a data breach.
These accounts allow us to create secure usernames and implement valuable username best practices. Accounts that protect personal financial information, like tax preparation services, bank accounts, and credit cards, require unique customer-generated usernames. Other accounts automatically default to the user’s email address, which makes the username easy to remember but impossible to update or refresh for added security.
Usernames are required for certain accounts: Some accounts and apps only require a password for login.