You’d think that with the number data leaks and hacks that happened this year, people would be more aware about the importance of having a secure password.
(I mean, even Mark Zuckerberg was complacent with his Pinterest and Twitter accounts.)
Apparently not, according to SplashData, a password management software developer.
In their annual list of worst/most commonly hacked passwords, ‘123456’ emerged as tops again – for the 7th straight year.
Check out the top 100 passwords of 2017 here:
From the list, it’s also evident that there are a good number of people who have the tendency to put their names as passwords.
Password ‘starwars’ also makes a comeback, clinching the 16th spot. The last time it was in the list was back in 2015, when it settled in 25th place.
Password Security 101
No one can predict who and where hackers will target next, but that doesn’t mean that we need to throw in the towel and leave it to fate.
Creating a strong password for your accounts is something you can actively play a part in, and all it takes is a little bit more effort on your part.
Here are 5 tips:
- Use different passwords for different accounts, and be creative
- Change your passwords regularly – what’s safe then might not be safe now
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever possible
- Simpler is not better in the case of passwords
- Change the passwords of accounts that you’re not using
We’re at the end of the year again, and while there are many things that we regret when looking back on the past 12 months, may our password habits not be one of them.
