Worst passwords of 2016 and how to protect yourself from common mistakes

Posted January 25, 2017

Each time you enter a password on your computer, do you make sure that the site is secure and the password you have entered is protected? Most of us likely will say “no”. In today’s online shopping and subscription driven age, we have a few simple ideas of how to avoid common password mistakes and keep yourself protected.

AVOID THE MOST COMMON PASSWORDS

SplashData just released the worst passwords of 2016 and at no surprise past offenders again make the top of the list. Simple rule is – do not use the passwords below, or any similar ones. About 10% of people use one of the top 25 worst passwords on the below list!

Rank	Password	Change from 2013
1	123456	No Change
2	password	No Change
3	12345	Up 17
4	12345678	Down 1
5	qwerty	Down 1
6	123456789	No Change
7	1234	Up 9
8	baseball	New
9	dragon	New
10	football	New
11	1234567	Down 4
12	monkey	Up 5
13	letmein	Up 1
14	abc123	Down 9
15	111111	Down 8
16	mustang	New
17	access	New
18	shadow	Unchanged
19	master	New
20	michael	New
21	superman	New
22	696969	New
23	123123	Down 12
24	batman	New
25	trustno1	Down 1

KEEP YOUR PASSWORD LONGER

We do recommend 12 characters, but 10 with various, more complex patterns that include #!&* symbols, tend to strengthen the security.

USE DIFFERENT PASSWORD FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES AND WEBSITES

Don’t use your bank credentials to login into your favorite online store. Don’t use that login for a questionable e-mail sign up form or a contest. Keep your important passwords separate from general access to other websites. Come up with a simple rule that will help you create passwords based on the websites you are accessing. This way – you can use a different password for each of the sites, but still remember the general rule. That will make all your passwords unique.

DON’T STORE YOUR PASSWORDS ON YOUR COMPUTER

If you are using a computer that is logged in at all times and other users have access to it, do not store your passwords on that machine. The best way to still keep passwords is the old fashioned way – in writing, although there are multiple apps and software that will help you keep your passwords in a secure way. You can view a list of the recommended software here http://www.infoworld.com/article/2936524/password-security/review-the-best-password-managers-for-pcs-macs-and-mobile-devices.html

Each time you create a new account, just make sure the site is secure and your password is strong and safe!

Source: https://www.teamsid.com/worst-passwords-2016/

password security, worst passwords of 2016