2020's most insecure passwords revealed; '123456,' 'iloveyou' feature on list
Despite tech companies urging users to give more thought while creating a password, not much has changed, an annual report by password manager NordPass revealed. It was found that '123456' was the most used password. In the list, featuring 200 worst passwords, '123456789' took the second rank. These passwords can be hacked in less than a second, the report added. Here's more.
Users must rely on two-factor authentication to protect their accounts
The other eighteen most common passwords are — 'picture1,' 'password,' '12345678,' '111111,' '123123,' '12345,' '1234567890,' 'senha,' '1234567,' 'qwerty,' 'abc123,' 'Million2,' '000000,' '1234,' 'iloveyou,' 'aaron431,' 'password1,' and 'qqww1122.' What's more alarming is that in 2015, a software firm, SplashData, had released its list of worst passwords. Then too, '123456' had topped the list.
Common passwords are easier to remember and hack: NordPass
A spokesperson from NordPass said people switch to common passwords as it is easier to remember them. "But the problem is that most memorable passwords are highly vulnerable to cracking," he said. It was revealed that a record 2,543,285 people used '123456' as their password. Unsurprisingly, when NordPass compared 2020's list with last year's, they couldn't notice much improvement in users' behavior.
How can one create a strong password?
According to NordPass, users should not use dictionary words as their passwords. Strings of keyboard and number combinations also don't qualify as strong passwords. Further, NordPass warned against using the same password for all accounts. An ideal password should have 12 characters, complete with upper and lower case alphabets. Every password must be changed after a duration of 90 days, perhaps even earlier.
