BRITS have been warned to change their dangerously hackable passwords as soon as possible.
Security experts have revealed a list of the most common passwords – and they’re so easy to crack, hackers could break into your accounts in seconds.
Passwords are notoriously poor ways of protecting your accounts.
That’s why tech giants like Apple and Google are now offering far safer alternatives called “passkeys”.
The problem with passwords is that people often choose simple ones that are easy to remember.
Not only that, but they’ll re-use them on multiple accounts.
That risks a hacker breaking into several accounts just by compromising a single password.
Now security giant NordPass – which offers a virtual private network app that encrypts your web activity – has revealed its annual report on the most common passwords.
And if you use any of the log-ins on your list, you could be hacked in seconds.
That’s because hackers will often simply dump long lists of commonly used passwords against email addresses to see what they can break into.
In the UK, the most commonly used password is “password”.
This is followed by “qwerty123” and “qwerty1”, which are both typed by going from left to right on a computer keyboard’s top row of letters.
Third up is “123456”, followed by “liverpool” in fifth place.
“Using identifiable information, such as a favourite football team, names of family members, or the city you live in, can make passwords easier to determine,” said Joe Cockroft, an “ethical hacker” at the UK’s North East Business Resilience Centre.
“While this information may be easy to remember, it could also be easy for threat actors to figure out after a short time exploring your social media profiles, for example.
“NordPass’s Most Common Password List shows just how popular football teams are for UK passwords, as well as how many passwords lack complexity and are often a single word.
TOP 20 MOST COMMON PASSWORDS IN BRITAIN
Here’s NordVPN’s official danger list…
- password
- qwerty123
- qwerty1
- 123456
- liverpool
- 123456789
- password1
- qwerty
- liverpool1
- arsenal
- 12345678
- chelsea
- Password
- charlie
- football
- abc123
- arsenal1
- rangers
- Password1
- charlie1
“Threat actors will often use a list of thousands or millions of words that help them crack your password.
“The National Cyber Security Centre advises that regularly changing passwords can cause more harm than good.
“Instead, it suggests that better password hygiene is more sufficient in securing accounts. Nevertheless, passwords should be changed immediately if a compromise is suspected or known.”
You can read the full list of common passwords here.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR ACCOUNTS SAFE
There are some simple rules to follow to stay safe.
Firstly, never ever use a simple password.
Make sure they’re 12 or even 16 characters long, with a combination of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols.
Secondly, never repeat the same password across multiple accounts.
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One way to get around this problem is to use a password manager.
Google has a built-in password manager in its Chrome browser and on Android phones.
And Apple offers its iCloud Keychain for iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices.
These managers will suggest complicated passwords for you, and then remember them so you don’t have to.
It’ll make it much harder for a hacker to break into your accounts.
Third, ensure that you’re always using multi-factor authentication.
That means having a second layer of security for logging in – like a code sent via text, or through an authenticator app.
It’s a great solution because hackers will struggle to break in even when they know your password.
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Fourth, check to see if your accounts have been compromised.
Google and Apple password managers should both warn you if your log-in has been leaked.
But you can also use HaveIBeenPwned.com to see if you’ve been caught up in a leak or hack.
Finally, consider using passkeys if the app or service you’re logging in to supports them.
Follow our guide to setting up passkeys.