Struggling To Choose A Password To Keep Data Safe? Here Is How To Create A Robust Password To Be Cyber Safe

Today – when the world is changing rapidly in terms of digitisation and almost every corner in the world has access to a smartphone and the internet, choosing a secure password is more important and difficult than ever before. Cybercriminals are constantly learning new techniques, making it nearly impossible to keep up with them. The team behind the password manager NordPass has been compiling lists of the most common passwords from around the world for several years. The same bad passwords appear at the top of the list year after year. And this year is no exception.

According to NordPass’ website, the company collaborated with independent cybersecurity researchers to evaluate a 4TB password database. Regrettably, the same password that topped the list last year was also the most popular in 2021. You can view all of the entries from 2021 on the NordPass website, but here are the top 20 most common passwords:

1. 123456

2. 123456789

3. 12345

4. qwerty

5. password

6. 12345678

7. 111111

8. 123123

9. 1234567890

10. 1234567

11. qwerty123

12. 000000

13. 1q2w3e

14. aa12345678

15. abc123

16. password1

17. 1234

18. qwertyuiop

19. 123321

20. password123

A good rule of thumb is that if you can enter your password by simply swiping your finger across your keyboard, it’s probably not strong enough. The number of passwords that are simply consecutive strings of numbers is depressing. Most of these passwords can be cracked in less than two seconds. If you use any of the passwords on this list or something similar, think about changing them.

Password Hygiene Disregarded

NordPass CEO Jonas Karklys said, “Unfortunately, passwords continue to deteriorate, and people continue to disregard proper password hygiene. It’s critical to understand that passwords are the gateway to our digital lives, and as we spend more and more time online, it’s becoming increasingly important to prioritise cybersecurity.”

How Do People Choose Passwords?

NordPass shared a few interesting notes about password choices in a press release.

People frequently include cultural references in their passwords. Football team names (both American and European) frequently appear in passwords, such as “steelers” in the United States or “liverpool” in the United Kingdom. NordPass also discovered that women used more positive words than men. Women would frequently use words and phrases such as “sunshine” and “iloveyou,” whereas men would frequently use swear words.

In addition, the researchers developed a risk index based on the number of passwords leaked in each country. Every country is assigned one of three risk levels: low, average, or high. Russia took first place, with an astounding 19.9 passwords leaked per capita. The United States was not far behind, ranking fifth with 5.2. France, Italy, Canada, Australia, and Poland are among the other high-risk countries.

How to Create a Robust Password

NordPass also provided a few pointers for creating a secure password that can’t be easily cracked:

1. Use complex passwords: A complex password has at least 12 characters and a varied combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Using a password generator is the most convenient and time-efficient way to generate complex passwords.

2. Don’t Reuse Passwords: A single password that can be used for multiple accounts is a hacker’s dream. Consider all of your other accounts to be in jeopardy if only one of them is compromised.

3. Change your passwords regularly: Security experts recommend changing your passwords every 90 days to keep your accounts safe and avoid any hacking. So keep changing passwords on a routine basis.

4. Examine your password’s strength regularly: Identify weak, reused, or old passwords and replace them with new, complex ones to strengthen your online security.

5. Use a password manager: The simplest and most efficient way to improve your overall online security is to use a password manager to securely store and access your passwords. This will help you keep all your passwords safe and organised.

You should be able to keep yourself safe online if you follow these tips and stay alert. If in any case, a mishap happens, then try to file a complaint as soon as possible, because this step can save you from further losses.

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