Americans Are Using the Dumbest Possible Passwords (2024 Edition)

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Americans Are Using the Dumbest Possible Passwords (2024 Edition)

Gizmodo
By Matt Novak
November 13, 2024

Just about everyone knows at this point that it’s important to use a strong password. But that hasn’t stopped a lot of people from using the dumbest passwords imaginable. NordPass just published its annual lists of the most popular easy-to-crack passwords, and there are quite a few bad ones, as well as some head-scratchers.

The people behind NordPass, a password manager, have been compiling these lists for six years now, analyzed from sets of passwords stolen by malware and exposed in data leaks. The latest batch of lists include not just personal credentials like in previous years, but also corporate passwords.

This year’s lists include data from 44 countries, and it’s interesting to see how the most common bad passwords vary by country. For instance, the most common bad password in Canada is “qwerty123,” while in the U.S. it’s “secret.” But overall across the 44 countries analyzed, the most common password is “123456.”

(more)
https://gizmodo.com/americans-are-using-the-dumbest-possible-passwords-2024-edition-2000524147

[dfwgator]

[Fishrrman]

The latest version of the Mac OS (10.15 "Sequoia") now comes with a "Passwords" app that assists in the management of passwords, creation of secure passwords, etc.

It will also tell you if a password you've been using has been "compromised" (through data leaks, etc.).

I'll take a guess that there are 3rd party apps that also do this, but since most people probably don't USE such apps, having one "built into" the OS is a step forward.

I created my own "password archive" database some time back.
Works for me for now -- although when I get a new Mac, might switch to the Apple Passwords app instead...

(I have no idea what Windows folks use)

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

The latest version of the Mac OS (10.15 "Sequoia") now comes with a "Passwords" app that assists in the management of passwords, creation of secure passwords, etc.

It will also tell you if a password you've been using has been "compromised" (through data leaks, etc.).

I'll take a guess that there are 3rd party apps that also do this, but since most people probably don't USE such apps, having one "built into" the OS is a step forward.

I created my own "password archive" database some time back.
Works for me for now -- although when I get a new Mac, might switch to the Apple Passwords app instead...

(I have no idea what Windows folks use)

Google chrome has done all of this for years. Warning you when a password has been compromised is a great security feature as this is by far the commonest way that normal people get "hacked".

[roamer_1]

Google chrome has done all of this for years. Warning you when a password has been compromised is a great security feature as this is by far the commonest way that normal people get "hacked".

So does firefox

As a tech, I never wanted to hear my client's passwords.
With their box in my hands I could easily hack the box in a minute and make myself an admin or system level user to manage the box, and if I needed to access their user level, I would just change their password and log in.

As a matter of course I would inform the client that I had raped their box, and cautioned them all to change their password first thing... because the password I left them on was invariably 'password'.

After year of this practice, I decided to test the boxen coming over my bench, and it was truly scary how many never changed the password at all.