Silly Padawans, Here Are The Worst Passwords For 2015
Internet and computer security is a very complex field that continues to challenge even the experts as new compromises and hacks are developed, discovered and exploited. However, password security, you would think is a pretty simple, straight-forward topic. Drop in a string of characters that are hard to guess and crooks and hackers looking to crack or brute-force simpler strings or common words will have a much more difficult time breaking in. For some though, the cognitive challenge of remembering a strong password is too much and as a result, they resort to passwords they can remember, rather than something appropriately secure.
Every year there are a few key words and strings that make the list of "worst passwords ever" and you could probably guess a few out of the top ten on the list just by giving it a bit of thought. Of course the usual "password" is in there, especially for folks too lazy to change default passwords on things like routers and online accounts with less-than best practice default security settings, as are strings like "123456", "letmein" and "welcome."
And according to password management, security and sharing software firm SplashData, sports are also a popular password target with seriously bone-head selections like "baseball" and "football" making the list. With passwords like this, you have to wonder if some people just aren't concerned about real security and the threat of intrusion, theft or being hacked. Then there's that fortress of privacy itself the all-might "111111." Common sense isn't all that common sometimes, as the saying goes. However, this year, some interesting choices in trending topics also appeared on the list.
While slightly less obvious choices like "monkey" and "dragon" fell a few pegs on SplashData's top 25 list of worst passwords for 2015, new gems like "starwars" and "solo" have now appeared. We suppose "solo" could be a tribute to that good ol' keg party standbye the Solo cup, but more than likely it's the Star Wars swashbuckler and great friend-of-a-Wookie himself.
You just can't make this stuff up. Yes, managing passwords for a bunch of platforms and devices you might have access to can be a daunting task but word to the wise; less common words are best and what the heck, while you're at it, throw in a couple of upper case letters, numbers and special characters just for good measure. And if worse comes to worse, grab a password manager app for backup. Because using words like "login" to log in is like walking into a light saber fight with an Ewok wicket.
Every year there are a few key words and strings that make the list of "worst passwords ever" and you could probably guess a few out of the top ten on the list just by giving it a bit of thought. Of course the usual "password" is in there, especially for folks too lazy to change default passwords on things like routers and online accounts with less-than best practice default security settings, as are strings like "123456", "letmein" and "welcome."
And according to password management, security and sharing software firm SplashData, sports are also a popular password target with seriously bone-head selections like "baseball" and "football" making the list. With passwords like this, you have to wonder if some people just aren't concerned about real security and the threat of intrusion, theft or being hacked. Then there's that fortress of privacy itself the all-might "111111." Common sense isn't all that common sometimes, as the saying goes. However, this year, some interesting choices in trending topics also appeared on the list.
While slightly less obvious choices like "monkey" and "dragon" fell a few pegs on SplashData's top 25 list of worst passwords for 2015, new gems like "starwars" and "solo" have now appeared. We suppose "solo" could be a tribute to that good ol' keg party standbye the Solo cup, but more than likely it's the Star Wars swashbuckler and great friend-of-a-Wookie himself.
You just can't make this stuff up. Yes, managing passwords for a bunch of platforms and devices you might have access to can be a daunting task but word to the wise; less common words are best and what the heck, while you're at it, throw in a couple of upper case letters, numbers and special characters just for good measure. And if worse comes to worse, grab a password manager app for backup. Because using words like "login" to log in is like walking into a light saber fight with an Ewok wicket.
