Consumers love to keep things simple, but when it comes to passwords that can have serious consequences. Time and time again, users ignore advice about long and complex passwords in favor of something they can easily remember………and hackers love it. Each year, cyber security and password manager firm NordPass compiles a list of the most common passwords among tech users. The data comes from hacking leaks, which is kind of proof of concept of their uselessness in protecting consumer information. For 2024, the top 5 passwords are: secret, 123456, password, qwerty123, and 123456789. These passwords set a new record for minimal effort in human history. What’s really scary is that it’s possible that these passwords were used on websites that store users’ banking information, credit card history, and medical records. The advice regarding strong cyber security remains the same. Choose passwords at least 20 characters long with a variety of characters and symbols. Avoid easy-to-guess topics like birthdays or hometowns. When it comes to passwords, the more nonsensical, the better. If you simply can’t come up with a password for the dozens of sites you visit frequently, consider using a password manager. That way, all you need to remember is one password.
