Worst passwords of 2018: Check if yours is there
Do you think you have a hack-proof password? Do you use different alphabets, digits and special characters or is it something simple like "123456" or "Password"? Well, you might want to check on that because software company SplashData has recently released the worst passwords of 2018 and it shows people are doing exactly what they shouldn't. Here's more on this.
'12345', 'password' the top two worst passwords
SplashData studied 5 million leaked passcodes on the Internet, and made a list of the dumbest and most terrible ones of 2018. In the top 10, "123456" bagged the first title, obviously. It was followed by "password", "123456789", "12345678", "12345", "111111", "1234567" and the last three places were taken by "sunshine", "qwerty" and "iloveyou". Really, is it that difficult to remember a complicated password?
'Donald' debuts, becomes one of the dumbest ones this year
While the standard "iloveyou" and "qwerty" is expected, but a newcomer has joined the list of the dumbest passwords at 23rd position- "donald". "Celebrity names" and other common words are often used as passwords, as are simple keyboard strings, and this gives hackers the advantage, notes SplashData's CEO. Meanwhile, numbers continue to dominate the list, as the top 25 also includes "666666", "abc123", "aa123456".
Take a look at the top 25 worst passwords
Here are some tips to make strong passwords
Now, it's time to learn a lesson from this. In case you already have a password from the list, here are some things you can do. First, password length is important. To remember longer passwords, people advise using a phrase, like a line from a book or film. Cyber-criminals use automated tools to guess passwords and this move makes their task difficult.
Never use same password for different services
Second, experts say don't use words that can be found in the dictionary, because password-cracking tools, freely available online, often come with dictionary lists. If you're using one, add numerals/special characters, at the beginning or the end. Also, when a service you use is hacked, change your password right away. And it goes without saying, don't set the same password for different services.
Have 12 characters interspersed with upper and lower cases
Another great tip is to have 12 characters interspersed with upper and lower cases. SplashData's list is a serious reminder to the lack of attention people pay to protect their data. Especially in the digital world, where almost everything- bank accounts, office files, personal data- is password protected, it's high time cybersecurity is taken seriously and passwords are revised and made stronger.
