Most common passwords in 2020 –– if yours is on this list, change it right away
Every year, cybersecurity attacks are becoming more drastic. Attackers have become increasingly clever; implementing new innovations to trick us into giving our personal information for these attackers to exploit.
When using the internet, you should be very careful in managing passwords, be vigilant in the websites you open, the links you click, opening up emails, and more. However, all these efforts to protect yourself from falling into the hands of the cyber attackers, won’t help you a bit if you have one of the worst passwords imaginable.
This week, NordPass released the list of 200 most common passwords of 2020. Is your password on this list?
Read: Coronavirus-themed cyberattacks & phishing dropped, says Microsoft
List of most common passwords in 2020
A password is supposed to protect you from cyber attacks. If you have a strong password, it is unlikely that you will be exploited. NordPass has just published a list of the 200 most common passwords of 2020.
If you think that people have gotten clever and made progress when it comes to making up passwords, think again. Back in the year 2015, the worst passwords include “123456” and “password.” Fast forward five years, and nothing has changed. In fact, “123456” made it to the top of the list, while “password” is in the top 10.
NordPass analyzed 275,699,516 passwords leaked during 2020 data breaches. They and their partners found that the most common passwords are very likely the easiest to guess.
In fact, it was discovered that it could take less than a second or two for attackers to break into accounts using these credentials and exploit it. Additionally, only 44% of those recorded are considered to be unique passwords.
This Wednesday, the password manager solutions provider published its annual report with regard to the state of password security. They found that most popular options were “123456,” “123456789,” “picture1,” “password,” and “12345678.”
Is your password on this list? If so, you are just an instant away from having your personal data stolen by attackers. With the exception of “picture1,” which would take roughly three hours to decode using a brute-force attack, the others would only take seconds using dictionary scripts, which compile common phrases and numerical combinations. And let’s not forget, just plain guessing!
Tips on having a strong password
When selecting a password, here is what you can do:
Avoid patterns or repetitions, like letters or numbers that are adjacent to each other on the keyboard. You can add a capital letter, characters, symbols, or numbers in unexpected places –– that will greatly help.
But remember: In all cases, you should not put personal information such as birthdates or names. Attackers are just waiting for unsuspecting victims to exploit, and it’s our job to take responsibility for securing our own accounts.
If you find it very hard to remember different complex passwords for all of your accounts, then it’s best to use a password locker service. Check out this article for the 10 best password manager apps.