24 Jan Worst Passwords of 2015

Posted at 05:42h in Cyber, News by

Worst Passwords of 2015

Since 2011, SplashData has published a list of the most commonly used passwords compiled from analysing password breaches during that year. The result is known as the “Worst Password List”, which highlights common passwords that potentially put people and businesses at risk of a Cyber Event. If you find one of your passwords on this list, it might be time for a change.

Trends in Worst Passwords

12345678 is just as easy to type as 1qaz2wsx. The numbers are right next to each other on the keyboard, ensuring you (and hackers) can quickly and easily enter the password.  In fact, 11 of the top 25 passwords in the list are just as simple to type. Avoid making passwords from simple patterns on your computer.123456 and password have not moved from the top 2 spots in the last year. While not unexpected, this highlights that users rarely change their passwords. It’s recommended to change your password or have your system administrator set company passwords to expire every 60 days.

Star Wars is making a come back in more than just the box office. Popular topics such as sports and movies are regularly at the forefront of people’s minds when making up a password. Last year both ‘superman’ and ‘batman’ appeared in the top 25. If a popular topic, sports team or movie, helps you remember one of your many passwords, mix the phrase up with numbers or try spelling it incorrectly. A simple word such as baseball can become: bAz3baLL.

 

Best practices to help prevent or reduce risk…
  • The longer the password, the strong the protection. Ensure your passwords are at least 10 characters long.
  • Mix it up. Use a mixture of letters (upper and lower case), numbers and special characters (#,$,% etc.).
  • If you do use a phrase to help you remember a password, use the above tips and misspell the phrase. e.g. 5TarWoRz
  • The Australian Government’s online saftey and security website, Stay Smart Online suggests using two-factor authentication for your online services. These were once only the domain of corporate bank accounts. Now by simply downloading a mobile app such as Google Authenticator, you have the ability to add an extra level of security to your accounts.

 

How can CRM Brokers help?
A strong password is just one way to help protect your digital assets; however, there are still a variety of ways cyber crime can occur. CRM Brokers can arrange an insurance policy to cover you in the instance of a Cyber Event.
For a Cyber Event Quotation (turnover less than $10m), click here. This form consists of just ten risk questions and can be completed within five minutes.
For a Cyber Event Quotation (turnover over $10m), click here.
For more information on how CRM Brokers can help you, refer to our Cyber Event website. Alternatively, you can call 1300 880 494 to talk to a CRM Broker about prevention measures and our Cyber Event Insurance to ensure your business does not become a statistic.
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