Google Apps recently conducted a study of 2,000 people to learn more about their methods for choosing account passwords.
The research revealed the worrying fact that most people choose passwords based on readily available information.
This means a surprising number of accounts can be hacked using a few simple, educated guesses.
So, what are the most common passwords? The top 10 list is as follows:
1. Pet names.
2. A notable date, such as a wedding anniversary.
3. A family member’s birthday.
4. Your child’s name.
5. Another family member’s name.
6. Your birthplace.
7. A favorite holiday.
8. Something related to your favorite sports team.
9. The name of a significant other.
10. The word “Password”.
If you use any of these to construct your own passwords, then you should probably take a moment to come up with something far more secure.
Information such as birthdays, anniversaries and names can be easily researched using social media, which is why it’s generally recommended that you lie when setting account security questions like “what is your mother’s maiden name?”
The study reveals a few other terrible password habits: Nearly half of us (48%) share our passwords with others, a basic security no-no.
And 3% write their passwords down on a post-it note stuck near their computer – the digital equivalent of leaving your front door unlocked at night.
Rather than choosing an easy-to-remember piece of personal information, you could use more secure password management software instead.
So what constitutes a strong password?
The usual definition of a strong password is one that has at least six characters (the longer the better) with a mixture of upper and lower case numbers and letters or if possible special characters such as # and ?
