People still use their passwords as ‘123456 and ‘password’, respectively, even after many cyber attacks. As we know that passwords are the priority of defense against hackers. But the hackers are getting more tricky with each passing day.
‘123456’ and ‘password’ are the most widely used passwords
It suggests that Internet users don’t have such strong memory to remember Alphanumeric passwords or are not concerned about their security. 2015 has witnessed many cyber-attacks, including data breaches and hacking.
Despite many cyber attacks, internet users still use passwords like 123456 and ‘password’ in North America and Western Europe, according to SplashData’s yearly “Worst Password” ranking. Splash Data’s research also revealed that many people still use dumb passwords like 123456, ‘password,’ football, cricket, etc.
SplashData, the company which develops password management software, and its report is compiled from millions of passwords leaked throughout the year.
The report also disclosed that people use sports and movie names as their passwords because they are easy to remember.
The SplashData’s chief said in a statement that they have witnessed many people trying to be more secure by adding special characters to their passwords. But some very simple passwords can put you at risk. The risk is similar to having your identity stolen by hackers.
The record of passwords based on their popularity and rankings in 2014
| Rank | Password | Change from 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | 123456 | Unchanged |
| 2. | password | Unchanged |
| 3. | 12345678 | Up 1 |
| 4. | qwerty | Up 1 |
| 5. | 12345 | Down 2 |
| 6. | 123456789 | Unchanged |
| 7. | football | Up 3 |
| 8. | 1234 | Down 1 |
| 9. | 1234567 | Up 2 |
| 10. | baseball | Down 2 |
Movies play a vital role for some Internet users in deciding their passwords. The report further reveals that newly released films like “Star Wars and “The Force Awakens” has led many users to set their password as “Princess,” “Star Wars” “solo” etc.
Why should you change your password if you are using a simple password?
As discussed above, the cyber attacks and the passwords set by many users that they can easily remember to give hackers a chance to hack their passwords.
Cyber crimes are increasing daily, and many users fail to realize the importance of strong Passwords.
Setting a good password should include at least 12 characters with a combination of upper and lower case letters, special characters, and numbers.
Sometimes, you need to set a short password because of the limit; in that case, you can set a strong alphanumeric password like A-@34ft or any other, according to your desire.
Don’t keep your password simple, even if it has 12 characters, but remember to use special characters, numbers, and lower and upper case letters to surf the internet efficiently and safely.
