Online security is a big issue nowadays, with more sophisticated software being used by criminals. One of the easiest ways to secure your personal details is by creating a password that isn’t easy to guess.
It’s important to remember that passwords provide the first line of defence against intruders and imposters online.
According to the latest list of the worst passwords released by SplashData, some choices remain popular.
The list was compiled from an analysis of 3.3 million leaked passwords that came out during 2014, while the study was compiled with the assistance of online security expert Mark Burnett.
If your password appears on this list, it would be wise to change it to avoid becoming an easy target for hackers:
- 123456
- Password
- 12345
- 12345678
- qwerty
- 234567890
- 1234
- Baseball
- Dragon
- Football
- 1234567
- Monkey
- Letmein
- abc123
- 111111
- Mustang
- Access
- Shadow
- Master
- Michael
- Superman
- 696969
- 123123
- Batman
- Trustno1
The good news according to Burnett, is that the percentage of people using these passwords has decreased.
According to security boss at Dropbox, Patrick Helm, the biggest threat to security is the user and their passwords.
“As more websites require stronger passwords or combinations of letters and numbers, longer keyboard patterns are becoming common passwords and they are still not secure,” says Morgan Slain, CEO of SplashData.
Here are a few handy tips for creating passwords:
- Don’t just use one password. By using one password you open up yourself to the chances of a hacker or imposter gaining access to multiple accounts.
- Create a password that is easy to remember but difficult for others to guess.
- Make your password long. The longer the better, because they’re harder to crack.
- Include numbers, capital letters and various symbols.
- Avoid dictionary words. Criminals can use software that can guess words used in dictionaries.
Slain also advises: “Any passwords using numbers alone should be avoided, especially sequences.”
Remember to also stay alert to avoid phishing attacks.