Check to See If Your Password is Among the Year’s Worst Passwords

March 20, 2024 at 07:06 AM EDT

According to the latest ranking from the US password management company “NordPass,” “123456” once again claims the top spot, becoming the most-used password of 2023. Consequently, experts advise adopting high-strength passwords to prevent malicious account hijacking.

The problem of password leakage and the extensive use of weak passwords has become a significant challenge for network security. (Photo via Pixabay.com)

Boston, MA (Merxwire) – Everyone needs passwords today, but is yours secure? With the widespread use of the internet, people’s lives are increasingly intertwined with passwords. However, the subsequent issues of password leaks and the prevalence of weak passwords have become significant challenges to online security.

Based on the ranking of common passwords released by the US password management company “NordPass” in 2023, “123456” tops the list, followed by “admin” in second place, “12345678” in third, “123456789” in fourth, and “1234” in fifth. Except for “admin,” these top five passwords are all simple numerical combinations arranged in sequence, each with usage numbers exceeding a million, with the top two even reaching an astonishing four million users. But did you know hackers can easily crack these passwords in just one second?

Password leakage has become a threat to online security. According to Microsoft’s “2022 Digital Defense Report,” there are nearly 1,000 password-based attacks every minute, a 74% increase compared to last year. The theft of passwords from many users leads to personal information leakage. These leaked passwords are often used for further online criminal activities, such as malicious account logins and identity theft, posing severe user risks and losses.

In addition to password leaks, many people face the problem of using weak passwords when setting them up. Weak passwords are easy to guess or crack, such as simple numerical or alphabetical combinations, familiar words, birthdays, etc. These weak passwords are easy targets for hackers, leading to risks such as account theft and data breaches.

A strong password should consist of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. (Photo via Pixabay.com)

Faced with the dual threat of password leakage and weak passwords, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States has issued regulations stipulating that solid passwords should consist of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Additionally, passwords should be unique, with each account having a different password to prevent the security of one account from affecting others. Finally, passwords should be changed regularly to minimize losses after a password leak.

In today’s increasingly security-conscious world, strengthening the importance of password protection has become everyone’s responsibility. Everyone should enhance their awareness of password security and learn to set and manage passwords appropriately to ensure the security of personal information and assets.

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Check to See If Your Password is Among the Year’s Worst Passwords

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