Summary
A study by NordPass revealed the most common passwords used in the U.S., showing many are weak and easily guessed, like "admin" and "password". Cybersecurity experts warn about the risks of using simple passwords, especially after a large data breach exposed billions of logins. They suggest creating strong, unique passwords for better online protection.
Key Facts
- NordPass released a list of the top 200 most common U.S. passwords, with "admin" and "password" ranking highest.
- A major data breach in June exposed 16 billion passwords online.
- The study found simple numeric sequences like "123456" are frequently used across all age groups.
- Older users often include names in passwords, while younger generations prefer numeric combinations.
- Compared to last year, more passwords now include special characters, though not always effectively.
- Cybersecurity experts warn simple passwords are vulnerable to a "dictionary attack," a method of guessing passwords using common words.
- 62% of Americans admit to reusing passwords across different accounts.
- Experts advise using strong, unique passwords of at least 20 characters with random letters, numbers, and symbols.
