A cyber expert has issued an urgent warning to all internet users over their passwords, compiling a commonly-used list of secret account-protecting codes. It comes after new research from payment firm Dojo revealed just how easy it actually is for con artists to break into your accounts, which can done sometimes in just a mere matter of seconds.
The new report in-turn suggests a couple of simple modifications which can be made to effectively give your online accounts that little bit extra protection.
The firm firstly noted how the most hackable passwords are those that contain all lowercase letters or numbers, and are less than eight characters long. For example, codes like purple, letmein, qwerty, or 202201 can all be guessed in a matter of moments.
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The Mirror reports that when compared to a phrase like wednesday1, which takes more than 2,000 seconds to crack, and you can see how a small and simple change can make a massive difference. Another mistake that web browsers often make is using the same passwords for work and home accounts.
This makes the chance of being hacked across the board much more likely, with Dojo explaining: "With 51% of people using the same passwords for both work and personal accounts, it’s common for people to repeat password patterns that are easy to remember. But the study found that 365,174 passwords feature all lowercase letters and an average password length of eight characters."
They added: "When using this password pattern hackers can access your data easily, as the number of combinations they need to try is lower. If you are using all lowercase letters for your passwords, it would take hackers just three seconds to guess."
Along with lowercase and shorter passwords, another common mistake made is using nicknames, TV shows, colours and fashion brands - which come in as some of the most hackable codes in the world. So what should you be doing to increase the strength of your security?
Dojo said that its study found that more than 1.5million passwords were eight or less characters long, with terms of endearment being the most common password category. To ensure that you don't fall victim to hackers, it's a good idea to make codes a minimum of eight to twelve characters long, while using a mix of special characters, numbers and capital letters.
So the likes of ChR0nicl3_1iV£ would be much, much harder to crack than simply chroniclelive. It's also a good idea to set up two-factor authentication, which is available on most apps and accounts which require a password.
With 2FA sorted, you'll receive a multi-step account login process, which requires more than likely your initial password as well as a code generated by an external authenticator app or a one time link sent to your email. You could even have to answer a secret question, or scan a thumbprint or face ID to access certain apps.
Other top tips from Dojo include using services like Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) to monitor if your username and password have been breached. You also shouldn't use personal information which is easily accessible through your online presence, and use a credible password manager to help create strong and unique passwords.
That way, you don't even need to remember them - as they can sometimes turn out incredibly long-winded and complex.
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