Here are the 10 worst passwords you might be using – stop it

11 million Brits (21%) only use between one to three passwords for all their online accounts or profiles, 8% use the same password for everything and over a quarter (28%) use between four to six.

That’s according to research from Insurance2go, which recently ran a poll to gain insight into why so many members of the public fall victim to cyber crime and so-called phishing.

The data also revealed the most common ‘inspirations’ for passwords, and it’s not great news to be honest:

1. Pets name (23%)
2. Family member’s birthday (15%)
3. Favourite place (14%)
4. Birthday (13%)
5. Maiden name (11%)
6. The school I went to (11%)
7. Favourite number (10%)
8. Partner’s name (9%)
9. Favourite sports team (9%)
10. Partner’s birthday (9%)

Alongside these memorable facts, Brits also turn to wedding anniversaries, favourite films, nicknames and 7% even use their pin number within their passwords.

What are you doing, people?

What’s more, a fifth (21%) confessed to sharing at least one password with a family member. Only 15% confessed to sharing a password with a partner.

Aaron Nolan, Cybersecurity specialist from Spector, said: “Password Security is a fundamental matter, and that should not be taken lightly. Over 80% of hacking-related incidents use either weak or stolen passwords, so this is often one of the first things a Cyber Criminal will try to use against you.

“Even a strong password can quickly be compromised if you use the same one for every website and account you create. Cybercriminals are continually harvesting passwords from data breaches, and if you only use one password, they will eventually guess it. When they do, they will have access to most of your accounts, so the potential for damage is enormous.

“Changing your password slightly is not the best idea in terms of cybersecurity. If a criminal is targeting you, or if they already know your password, they’ll easily be able to guess the others, so make sure to have a substantial difference between each one you use. The easiest way to go about it is to use a tool like a password manager, which will facilitate the task of remembering all of them for you.”

We agree – and highly recommended you start using something like 1 Password.

For more tips and tricks on how to keep your online accounts secure please visit:

https://www.insurance2go.co.uk/media-centre/top-password-tips-ahead-of-national-password-day/