This year we have seen some big Security breaches that expose millions of passwords like Yahoo!, LinkedIn, eHarmony and Last.fm, among others , SplashData Reveals Its Annual "25 Worst Passwords of the Year" List.
how-secure-is-my-password_TIMuW_25552_530x302
The three worst passwords haven't changed since 2011; they're password, 123456 and 12345678. The new worst passwords added to this year's list include welcome, jesus, ninja, mustang and password1. Have you ever used one of the most popular passwords of 2012 for your own personal accounts?
SplashData CEO Morgan Slain stated “At this time of year, people enjoy focusing on scary costumes, movies and decorations, but those who have been through it can tell you how terrifying it is to have your identity stolen because of a hacked password.”
“We’re hoping that with more publicity about how risky it is to use weak passwords, more people will start taking simple steps to protect themselves by using stronger passwords and using different passwords for different websites.”
I am sure hope you didn't find one of your passwords. If you did, I highly advise you switch it fast. In order to create a safer password, use security phrases with at least eight characters while utilizing a variety of characters within the phrase. Also use multiple passwords across different types of sites.
Password management applications also can help users keep track of their passwords and avoid using the same password for multiple sites, which is another bad practice, especially when mixing, say, entertainment and social networking sites with financial services
