So you’ve come up with a password that’s secure enough. You use it everywhere, and always make sure to change your password every few months. What could go wrong? You might be making one of the most common password mistakes: being lazy with your passwords! Find out in this article what you should avoid – if you’re looking to avoid becoming one of the unlucky ones!
While everyone should be aware that “123456” or “hello” are not exactly safe passwords, every survey shows that these characters are consistently in the top 10. Now, an analytics firm has taken a new approach to passwords and, based on 2.5 billion different codes, has found that there are even some letters to avoid. The letter ‘X’ is the most avoided, but the letter ‘E’ is also used a lot. Not surprising, of course, as these letters are the most common in English words.
Interestingly, the letters “X”, “Y,” and “Z” are used much more than in everyday life.
How easy to hack a password?
Hacking passwords is very easy. Some hackers can enter a password in less than one second. They use programs that are designed to guess a password with an algorithm. They will also find out if you’re using the same password for different accounts and use social engineering techniques to steal your information and compromise your identity.
Conclusion
We all make mistakes regarding our passwords, but some password mistakes are more severe than others. Here are the top five most common password mistakes and how to avoid them.
- Choosing easily guessed words like “password” or “123456”
- Storing your password in a place where someone could see it (like on a sticky note next to your computer monitor)
- Not using different passwords for different websites
- Using the same password at multiple websites
- Reusing old passwords
Don’t be the next victim; always use strong passwords. Try the password generator to protect your valuable data with the most robust password possible.