Millions using 123456 as password, security study finds

Millions using 123456 as password, security study finds

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Discussion

bitchstewie

Original Poster:

51,397 posts

211 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
In 2019 with all the mainstream coverage that security incidents get I find this slightly staggering.

https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/technology-47974583

If you're reading this and thinking "I do that" please read the article and change your habits smile

dundarach

5,060 posts

229 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
After being 'got' by an ebay attack, then realising every single password I'd ever used was the same....I changed them all.

What amuses me, is that I work in a large government building, and every single desk has a little book of passwords on it smile

eldar

21,798 posts

197 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
dundarach said:
After being 'got' by an ebay attack, then realising every single password I'd ever used was the same....I changed them all.

What amuses me, is that I work in a large government building, and every single desk has a little book of passwords on it smile
I worked for IBM. They had a high security system that issued unmemorable secure passwords rather than let you choose.

Always written on an ID badge or underneath the keyboard.

devnull

3,754 posts

158 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
A friend of mine uses a combination of cadcadcad and a number - despite having a conversation with them and pointing out what happens, they take no notice. Its exasperating.

Mr E

21,632 posts

260 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
I wonder how many of those instances are “bloody hell, I have to sign up? Well, I’m never going to use it again, so who cares”

B'stard Child

28,447 posts

247 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
In four out of seven applications I use at work £ is a banned character and not allowed to be used for passwords.......

$ is however

B'stard Child

28,447 posts

247 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I would have thought that quite a few petrolheads use number plates as a base for passwords

Ian Geary

4,496 posts

193 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
The problem is, with the plethora of sites needing passwords, it's hard not to base them around the same thing, unless you are crazy enough to write them down or have a freaky brain.

I'm tempted to change them all to "stupidf...ingpassword"

(Though obviously I won't now i've just told the internet.)


Serious question though: I have online banking passwords that my wife doesn't know, and might need if I was say, in a bike accident.

Does anyone have tips on sharing those in a way that won't compromise them?

Without going all Da Vinchi code, would probably need a memorable number to somehow change whatever passwords I write down.

Ian

B'stard Child

28,447 posts

247 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I would have thought that quite a few petrolheads use number plates as a base for passwords

bitchstewie

Original Poster:

51,397 posts

211 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
Get a password manager and use it.

  • 1Password
  • LastPass
  • KeePass if you don't trust cloud options.
Protect your email account with every measure available i.e. strong unique password and 2FA if available.

B'stard Child

28,447 posts

247 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
bhstewie said:
Get a password manager and use it.

  • 1Password
  • LastPass
  • KeePass if you don't trust cloud options.
Protect your email account with every measure available i.e. strong unique password and 2FA if available.
What happens when a password manager application is hacked?

BoRED S2upid

19,714 posts

241 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Unless of course you have a photo of it on social media somewhere.

rdjohn

6,189 posts

196 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
My mate uses A1; 13 times. I can never log onto his router.

FourWheelDrift

88,554 posts

285 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
I'm sure millions use "password" as their password too.

amusingduck

9,398 posts

137 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
B'stard Child said:
bhstewie said:
Get a password manager and use it.

  • 1Password
  • LastPass
  • KeePass if you don't trust cloud options.
Protect your email account with every measure available i.e. strong unique password and 2FA if available.
What happens when a password manager application is hacked?
They go out of business? Pretty good incentive to make security their #1 concern biggrin

https://lastpass.com/support.php?cmd=showfaq&i...

Someone would need my master password AND my phone (and a way to unlock it) to get into my lastpass vault. I'm not concerned about them being hacked.


red_slr

17,266 posts

190 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
The diagonal line method with shift holds works well and easy to change every x days/months by moving over one letter.

So long as you use the same combination of shift up and down you just have to remember the starting letter / number so you can end up with a really nice long random (ish) password that is really quite quick to input such as bhu8*UHBbgt5%TGB you only have to remember "b".

It also means you can share passwords with other people with just one letter so you could tell your wife / business partner that the current password is b and so long as they know the direction / combination of shift holds they can access AND change the password then just tell you the new password is for example m would be mko0)OKMmju7&UJM.


thebraketester

14,248 posts

139 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
B'stard Child said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I would have thought that quite a few petrolheads use number plates as a base for passwords
According to the password strength checker online it would take 2 seconds to crack a X111 XXX or XX11 XXX type password.

A good password it something like,

"cantmotorbikecustion5*"
"stronglavendarcarpet&3"


Also replacing a with @, and s with $, etc etc is almost pointless.

Fittster

20,120 posts

214 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
I'm surprised that software isn't configured to reject weak passwords.

B'stard Child

28,447 posts

247 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
thebraketester said:
B'stard Child said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I would have thought that quite a few petrolheads use number plates as a base for passwords
According to the password strength checker online it would take 2 seconds to crack a X111 XXX or XX11 XXX type password.

A good password it something like,

"cantmotorbikecustion5*"
"stronglavendarcarpet&3"


Also replacing a with @, and s with $, etc etc is almost pointless.
I did say base biggrin

thebraketester

14,248 posts

139 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
Fittster said:
I'm surprised that software isn't configured to reject weak passwords.
Some of them are. ie. it will not allow you not to have a password which doenst match certain conditions. caps, special characters and numbers for example;