With large-scale security breaches more or less a permanent fixture of tech news, security practices among standard web users seem to be improving. But not very quickly, at least if NordPassās yearly report on the most common passwords is to be believed. According to the data gathered, hundreds of millions of people still use passwords that can be cracked more or less instantly, with ā123456ā taking the number one spot yet again. Over a hundred million accounts were found to be using it for the barest minimum of non-security.
Other popular passwords include āqwertyā (22 million accounts), ā111111ā (13 million accounts), and the ever-creative āpasswordā (just shy of 21 million accounts). Less obvious inclusions like āsuperman,ā ābaseball,ā and āq1w2e3r4t5ā are used by only a million accounts each, but Nord claims they can still be cracked in seconds. Among the top 200 most common passwords listed, āmyspace1,ā ā1g2w3e4rā, āgwerty123ā, and āmichelleā were the hardest to crack, taking a relative eternity of three hours.
The rest of the report yields some interesting insights. Russia is number one with a bullet in terms of password leaks, with almost 20 passwords illegally accessed per resident. Most of the western world isnāt much better off. The US, Canada, and the UK are still towards the top of the chart, with 5.1, 3.6, and 2.8 leaks per capita, respectively. Nord says that swear words are often used as passwords, though there arenāt any naughty entries in the top 200 ā whether thatās because they donāt feature or theyāve been edited out wasnāt mentioned.
The easiest way to protect your online accounts is to use a unique, complex password for each site and service. And the easiest way to do that is with a password manager. If youāre looking to start using one or want to shop around, check out PCWorldās roundup of the best password manager options.
Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details.
Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/553258/confirmed-your-passwords-still-suck.html
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