What is the worst passwords list 2015 can teach us -
At present, one would think that most people would be aware that passwords are important. After all, the average person uses at least a daily password to connect to different email accounts and social media to their work computers and online banking accounts. Surprisingly, however, the security of the password is still a big problem that people and companies are facing around the world. The annual report of the worst passwords compiled by SplashData password-management service for 2015 was released this week, and it shows that although people are starting to get the hang of doing more passwords, they are not necessarily making them more complex. The list was created by analyzing more than 2 million passwords disclosed data breaches over the last year, mainly users of Western Europe and North America. What can the front runners of the list of worst passwords of the year teach us about security in the coming year?
Your cultural reference is not as smart as you think
Last year's list included several superhero references, including "Superman" and "Batman", and this year, it is clear people follow the cultural shift since both "starwars" and "solo" appear in the top 25. While you might think it is witty to invoke your favorite movie or character, you are certainly not alone. If you want to use something a film show, book or TV that you are bound to remember, try something more complex like a chapter title or favorite quote. The more complex, the better. Pastimes and hobbies are also popular haunts of these password lists - "baseball" and "football" were both in the top 10 for several consecutive years. Again, you can reference something you like, but focus on the complexity and variation.
Long has not always equal safer
Many Web sites require passwords to meet some character limits to try to push users to create more words strong passwords. Unfortunately, all the long passwords will ensure the security you hope for. "1234567890" is 10 characters long, but it's incredibly easy to crack. If your password is easy to guess pattern, you can bet that there will be no problem for violation of pirates. According to CEO Morgan Slain SplashData, the company has seen an increased effort by people to add characters in their passwords, but warns that passwords based off simple models are not safe simply because " they are more.
Laziness is still king when it comes to bad passwords
The No. 1 and No. 2 points this year were unchanged from last year, with "123456" and "password" taking each respectively. These passwords are obviously the most unoriginal and easy to guess a person could come up with - and that makes them more dangerous to use. The top 10 list is mainly made of different lengths of digital channels in order as "1234" and "12345678" and also includes "qwerty" (the first six letters on the majority of mobile keyboards and computer). No matter what type of account you create, if it contains any of your personal information or is linked to your credit card or bank account, it is essential that you use a password that is not easy to crack . Another mistake people often make with passwords is reusing the same password for multiple accounts, which can result in a hacker to access your entire web presence through the crack an account.
What can you do to ensure that your passwords are secure?
beyond do not reuse the same password for multiple accounts, you can focus on making your overall strong passwords ensuring that they are at least 12 characters or more and use a mixture of different types of characters. Password "sentences" are a better way to ensure safety, especially if you use special characters and numbers in them. For example, fans of the show Game of Thrones might use the term "winter is coming" and insert special characters so it looks something like this: ". $ I W1Nt3r c0minG" Do not forget that most sites and applications allow you to use spaces in your passwords!
trouble remembering all your passwords? Consider using a password manager that securely stores all your passwords in a "safe" encrypted you access a master password. Just be sure that your master password is as safe as you can - and consider changing frequently. password managers can be purchased for mobile use and PC on their own (SplashData, for example, offers them), or you can purchase a software suite like Norton Internet Security, which includes a password manager.
passwords as we know them are changing
Fortunately, for those who are guilty of using less-than-secure password, the password itself could be on the way. Yahoo and Google have recently introduced features that eliminate passwords of accounts people in total, based on the verification of notifications sent to mobile phones rather than requiring the user to enter a password. As this technology catches on and biometrics such as voice recognition and fingerprints are used by more applications and devices to access, passwords as we know them could become obsolete (and therefore lists SplashData as to no longer relevant).
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