In the past few years online banking sites, social media outlets (Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook) and even Google passwords have been compromised. If the site does not have a two-step verification process, your password is the only thing that protects your critical information.
SplashData just released their annual list of stolen passwords for 2014, At JUMP we always try to remind our customers and friends to update their passwords. And what better time than the start of a new year to make sure all passwords are up-to-date and secure?
Top 10 Stolen Passwords from 2014
1. 123456 (Unchanged)
2. password (Unchanged)
3. 12345 (Up 17)
4. 12345678 (Down 1)
5. qwerty (Down 1)
6. 123456789 (Unchanged)
7. 1234 (Up 9)
8. baseball (New)
9. dragon (New)
10. football (New)
View the rest of the list here: Gizmodo
Here are a few Do’s and Dont’s for creating a strong password.
- Do create unique passwords that that use a combination of words, numbers, symbols, and both upper- and lower-case letters.
- Do not use your username in your password.
- Do not use private information as your password (birthday, social security number, phone numbers, etc..).
- Do not use passwords that are standard dictionary words.
- Do use a passphrase for example: ILove2Run!684 – This creates a stronger password but still can be easy to remember.
- Do use a password manager (LastPass, KeePass, Dashlane) Lifehacker has a great roundup of the 5 best.
- Do use common sense when creating passwords, don’t use the same password for your bank that you do for your email, shopping or social media.
- Do change important passwords often – Update anything that is important or secure as often as you can, and try not to reuse older passwords.
Remember creating a secure password doesn’t have to be labor intensive. Change your passwords often and make sure you are always cognizant of security breaches involving websites or social media outlets you use regularly. You can learn more about password security here: CNET.
