Guessing your password may be easier than you think.
That’s according to a new report from a mobile security company Beware, beware, take care, which recently published a list of the 20 most common passwords in account information leaked on the dark web. The list ranges from simple sequences of numbers and letters such as “123456” and “Qwerty” to easily typed phrases such as “Iloveyou”.
Choosing easy-to-remember passwords is understandable: the average person has more than 100 different online accounts that require passwords, according to NordPass Online Password Manager. But simple passwords can be too easy for hackers to figure out, allowing them stress-free access to your personal data and accounts.
It is a concern at the right time. Cyber security experts say the current Russian-Ukrainian conflict could lead to a storm Rise in cyber attacks around the world with US banks express concern This week they can be targeted. That’s on top of a record number of data breaches in the US last year — 1,862, up 68% from 2020 — according to January report From the Nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center.
Lookout, which makes cloud security apps for mobile devices, is referenced in a file December blog post That on average, their emails are leaked to 80% of consumers on the dark web. You can easily be among that majority without even realizing it.
Lookout said leaked emails often lead hackers directly to your passwords for other online accounts and identity theft. Here is the company’s list of 20 passwords commonly used on the dark web, due to data breaches:
- 123456
- 123456789
- Qwerty
- password
- 12345
- 12345678
- 111111
- 1234567
- 123123
- Qwerty 123
- 1q2w3e
- 1234567890
- hypothetical
- 0
- ABC123
- 654321
- 123321
- Qwertyuiop
- I love you
- 666666
If you use any of the above passwords for any of your online accounts, it is wise to replace it with something more secure. Cyber security experts often recommend choosing something longer than the minimum Recommended number of characters, and Using unfamiliar characters – Like punctuation or other symbols – instead of letters and numbers, to make your password more difficult to guess.
Lookout also noted that the majority of people reuse passwords for multiple accounts, a practice that should be avoided whenever possible. If hackers gain access to one of your accounts, you can at least make it difficult for them to gain access to the rest of the accounts.
You should also know which bits of information about you and your family are publicly available, and avoid using passwords that include that information — including birthdays, anniversaries, the names of loved ones, and even your hometown.
US Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology He also recommends checking your passwords against online lists of hacked passwords and using multi-factor authentication, among other security tactics.
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