Cybercrime costs are expected to hit 8 trillion dollars this year. Here’s how you can fight back, in one minute.
Billions of passwords for sale on the Dark Web - this one was used 7 million times
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How tough are your passwords? Despite what you may think, the best password practices from 10 years ago won’t cut it today. If you share passwords across different websites, for example, it’s time to get busy changing them for the sake of your security.
The reason: An unprecedented wave of phishing and cybercrime is upon us, which makes stronger passwords an absolute must. Tap or click here to see how much stolen accounts and passwords are selling for on the Dark Web.
Creating a strong password isn’t too difficult. All you need is a clever combination of numbers and letters that are difficult to guess. But in spite of this, one of the most common passwords in the world doesn’t even bother following this format. It’s been used literally millions of times, and you won’t believe how obvious it is.
The results are in: Your password is terrible
A recent analysis of more than 1 billion leaked passwords revealed an uncomfortable truth: People continue to use (and reuse) poor passwords across the internet.
It’s all part of a new study performed by Turkish computer engineering student, Ata Hakçıl, who analyzed leaked account credentials included in several major data breaches.
What he found was extraordinary: Out of the more than 1 billion accounts, under 169 million unique passwords existed. Not only that, but a much, much more concerning statistic also appeared upon further examination. Out of the unique passwords, more than 7 million happened to be “123456.” Yes, really!
If we break it down statistically, one out of every 142 passwords from the sample was “123456.” This currently accounts for the most commonly reused password on the web for the past half-decade, and this study only backs up how standard it has become for so many.
Beyond that startling discovery, the research revealed several other key findings that show just how much trouble our online accounts are in if we don’t make a change:
- The most common 1,000 passwords cover 6.607% of all the passwords.
- Average password length is around nine characters.
- Only 12.04% of passwords contain special characters.
- 28.79% of passwords only contain letters.
- 26.16% of passwords only contain lowercase letters.
- 13.37% of passwords only contain numbers.
- 34.41% of all passwords end with numbers, but only 4.522% of all passwords start with them.
What can I do to make my passwords safer
If you’re feeling concerned about your own cybersecurity (or if you happen to have “123456” as your password somewhere online), you don’t have to panic. There are a few steps you can take to shape up your passwords and secure your accounts.
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Plus, getting paid to dream? I talked to Twitch streamer StanleyMOV about his sleep streams. They’ve made him enough to pay his rent. Find spy cams with your phone, the latest on a big cybercrime bust, and quick tips to get work done faster.
How you can fight back against cybercrime
Most countries have a cybercrime unit. Many also have hacking units, elite gangs of cyber soldiers who launch long-term attacks on rival nations. Their goal: to steal state secrets or even wreak havoc on its citizens. But you can be your own cybercrime unit — and there are a lot of threats you need to protect yourself from. Kim talks with Etay Maor, the Senior Director of Security Strategy at Cato Networks. Find out how this battle of giants impacts you — as well as how you can stay safe.