I bet I can guess your password!
Victoria Bischoff looks at the top ten worst passwords people use online - and offers tips on how to ensure your passwords are secure.
These days, with more and more people using the internet for banking, shopping and social networking, password security is a very serious issue. If your password is easy to crack your personal details could quickly fall into the wrong hands.
It is therefore vital you choose a strong and secure password for every website and online service you use.
The top 10 worst passwords
A recent report by data security expert Imperva has identified the top ten passwords most commonly used by consumers online.
1. 123456
2. 12345
3. 123456789
4. Password
5. iloveyou
6. princess
7. rockyou
8. 1234567
9. 12345678
10. abc123
According to the study, nearly 50% of users used names, slang words, dictionary words or trivial passwords such as consecutive keyboard keys.
By choosing short and simple passwords, such as those above, you are making yourself more susceptible to basic forms of cyber attacks known as 'brute force attacks.' This is a trial and error strategy where the hacker tries as many different passwords as they can until they guess the right one.
If you're worried your passwords are not secure enough don't worry, there are simple steps you can take to strengthen them.
Five steps to a safer password
1. What not to do
First of all, never use any personal information, such as your mother's maiden name or partner's date of birth, as a password. This type of information is all too easy for a fraudster to find out.
Try to avoid using single words (or even a few words), regardless of the language, as hackers can use a 'dictionary attack' - which will simply try millions of combinations to guess the correct word.
You should also avoid using any sequences or repeated characters like 'abcdefg' or adjacent letters on your keyboard such as 'qwerty'. And be cautious when using words spelled backwards, common misspellings and abbreviations.
2. Go long
When it comes to picking a password the golden rule is: 'The longer the better'.
Many people make the mistake of believing that if their password is complex (i.e. has a mixture of lowercase and capital letters, numbers and punctuation) it is secure.
However if your password is short, regardless of how complex it is, it is at more risk. This is because criminals can crack even the most complicated passwords provided they are stored in a certain way using large tables of information known as 'rainbow tables'.
It is therefore vital you choose a password with at least eight to ten characters in it. Be aware that some websites will not accept long passwords or restrict what characters you can use. Check out the website 'Weakpasswords.org' to find out what companies currently disallow certain characters in passwords.
3. Use a pass-phrase
A pass-phrase is simply a sequence of words and is an easy way to create a long, secure password that you can remember.
First you choose a sentence that is meaningful to you. Try to stay away from famous quotations and phrases that someone who knows you well could guess.
For example, 'I choose long passwords because they are more secure.'
Next, just remove the spaces and mix up the cases.
'IChooseLongPasswordsBecauseTheyAreMoreSecure'.
The length of the password alone should be enough to make it secure, but if you feel safer using numbers as well you can always add them in.
If you are limited in the amount of characters you are allowed, you can just use the first letter of each word.
'Iclpbtams'
4. Don't use the same password for everything
Many people use the same password for everything from their online banking to their Facebook and Twitter accounts.
And while this may make life easier, as you don't have to remember a dozen passwords for different things, this is a dangerous move. If someone manages to hack into one account they will then have access to everything.
If you're struggling to remember numerous passwords, check out the website Angel Network's password generator. You simply choose your master password, type in the website you are using, and the clever tool will generate a different password for every site you use.
For example, if I use the master password 'safety' and type in the site name 'Facebook' my password is 1ae8dbf8. If I then use the same master password and type in the site name Ebay my password is b88ae747. The idea is that you only have to remember one word and can then copy and paste the generated password onto the site you're using.
5. Watch out for phishing
Finally, watch out for a nasty form of online fraud known as phishing. Fraudsters frequently use fake websites and e-mails that imitate legitimate companies in order to try and trick you into handing over your personal information and passwords.
For example, you may receive an e-mail disguised as a letter from your bank asking you to update your bank details or to change your password by following a link to a fake website.
However, always remember that no legitimate bank or business is ever likely to request personal information via e-mail. Therefore the best way to protect yourself from this type of scam is to refuse to give out your information unless you are certain the source is genuine.
After all, no matter how super secure password your password is, it will count for nothing if you are tricked into telling the very people you are trying to protect yourself against.
**Articles featured on BeatThatQuote.com are for information purposes only and reflect the views of individual writers. Articles are not, and should not be considered as, financial advice. BeatThatQuote.com strongly encourages our readers not to rely solely on information contained within this article/our website, but to conduct their own research and seek independent advice about the financial products they purchase.**
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