If you haven’t given your passwords a spring clean in a while now could be a good time to log in and make some changes. It seems that, despite endless warnings from security experts, millions of us continue to use ludicrously simple number combinations with some so easy to guess they can be cracked in under a second.
Now, the team at KnownHost has released more worrying data that proves which codes are being used too often and how likely they are to be stolen in cyber attacks. According to KnownHost, the worst 10 passwords have been used more than eight million times and have been involved in more than 120 million data breaches.
So, what is the poorest password?
Amazingly, people continue to use “123456” to access accounts online with this set of very guessable numbers thought to have been used in over 50million data breaches.
This is then followed by “123456789” and “1234”. Other terrible passwords include “admin” and “password” – yes that really is in the top 10!
It’s not hard to see why the security is so bad when using these numbers with KnownHost saying its research reveals that many people still do not take password security seriously.
Here are the top 10 worst passwords
123456
123456789
1234
12345678
12345
password
111111
admin
123123
abc123
“This research highlights a persistent issue in cybersecurity—many people are still relying on weak, easily guessable passwords, despite the risks.
“Cybercriminals are constantly evolving their tactics, but simple password hygiene can be the difference between staying protected and having your details included in a data breach. We urge individuals and businesses alike to adopt stronger password practices, use unique passwords for each account, and leverage password managers and multi-factor authentication to enhance security”
If you are using any of the codes above then make some changes now. To help you secure your accounts, KnowHost has released some guidance on how to improve your security.
· Always include a mix of letters, numbers and special characters. Try to avoid combinations of letters and numbers that are in order.
· Rather than using a password that includes personal details like names, initials or special dates, opt for random words, phrases and number combinations.
· Pepper your password with random letters or characters, rather than placing them at the end.
· Avoid using the same password across multiple sites – especially those that contain sensitive data like banking or medical details. One report found that 78 percent of people reuse the same password multiple times. If your password in included in a data breach, this makes it easier for cybercriminals to access data across a range of websites.
· For websites with important information, set a reminder to changes the password at least every six months.
