Photo: Nikita Belokhonov/Pexels
Some people simply can’t stop using stupid, weak passwords. An analysis of the phrases used to secure various accounts in 2023 finds that “123456” was used 4.5 million times, making it the most popular. And the rest of the top 10 are all easily guessed, too.
It’s World Password Day, a good opportunity to change the horribly weak ones you’re using now. Especially as Apple makes it easy
Stupid passwords that crooks can guess in less than a second
Using a weak account password makes as much sense as posting your credit card number on a sign in your front yard. Using an easily guessed word practically invites crooks to steal from you.
And yet, researchers at NordPass found no shortage of terrible passwords in the company’s list of 2023’s most common ones. The list includes a ton of entries that can be guessed in less than a second, like “password,” “111111” and “admin.”
In four out of the five years this annual study has gone on, “123456” was ranked as the most common password. In the one exception, “Password” held this not-so-noble title.
Streaming video seems to make people impatient with passwords. Compared to other popular websites, NordPass found that people choose the weakest passwords to secure accounts on these services.
Password managers offer more security
People choose terrible passwords because they’re easy to remember. But a password manager takes the hassle out of using strong passwords. These applications also make it easy to avoid another common problem: reusing passwords. Utilizing the same password — even a strong one — on multiple websites is a big no-no.
Luckily for Apple fans, iPhone, iPad and Mac all come with a password manager built-in for your safety and convenience. Apple’s iCloud Keychain can suggest strong passwords, share them across a user’s Apple devices, and automatically fill them in on websites and applications. It also makes it easy to find out if a user’s passwords showed up in data leaks so they can be changed.
If that’s not enough, Apple is working to kill the password completely and replace it with passkeys that depend on biometric security.
Source: NordPass