“123456” Won’t Save You: The Real Dangers of Weak Passwords

No one likes remembering passwords, especially now that we need dozens to lead an everyday digital life. While tempting, the path of least resistance to password security is also the most dangerous.

But what’s the big deal, anyway? What are weak passwords, and why are they risky? Better yet, what can you do to up your password game while keeping account access simple? Here’s what you need to know about essential password security.

What Makes Passwords Weak?

Some passwords are weak on account of their length. Modern methods let hackers crack any password instantly if it’s less than six characters long, regardless of which characters you use. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s latest recommendations, a strong password should be 15 characters long or more.

The variety of characters also increases security. It’s far easier to crack a password containing only 10 possible digits than one with uppercase and lowercase letters and symbols since there are exponentially more combinations to try.

A password can be long and complex yet still weak if it consists of elements someone can find online. If your name is Karla, you have a dog named Spot, and were born in 1998, “Karla98LovesSpot” isn’t particularly hard to figure out.

Finally, a weak password is one you use for multiple accounts. It’s risky since it takes only one compromised account to endanger others. Using similar passwords isn’t safe since hackers can easily use credential stuffing attacks, trying variations of known passwords when breaking into other accounts.

What Are the Consequences?

Weak passwords do not protect your account because they are as easy for hackers to brute-force or guess as they are for you to remember.

Compromised accounts are the immediate but by no means the only possible consequence. What an attacker can do with such an account varies. The best-case scenario would be losing an old account you don’t use and didn’t link any personally identifiable information to. The attackers can lock you out by changing the password and making edits to the account, and that’s about it.

However, most accounts are tied to several key identifiers, such as emails you use for various things. These identifiers may contain personal information like your name and billing address or financial information like credit card numbers. If hackers access this data, you may become the victim of identity theft and financial fraud.

Compromised email and social media accounts can serve as springboards for other attacks. Hackers may use these accounts to exploit your contacts’ trust, get them to give up their account credentials, or infect their devices with malware.

The consequences escalate if the hacked password is supposed to protect a business asset like a customer database. Data breach costs reach millions of dollars annually, and account takeovers via compromised passwords are how the vast majority start. Apart from financial losses, such breaches lead to loss of customer trust and may have legal consequences.

How to Keep Your Accounts Safe?

Proper password hygiene is essential to account safety. It starts by choosing long, complex, unique passwords for each account. You don’t have to remember them if you use a password manager to automate your workflow.

Password managers on your Firefox, Chrome, or other browsers instantly generate secure passwords and store them inside encrypted vaults. Apart from being hackproof and unique, these passwords are easy to fill in automatically or temporarily share with friends and colleagues without compromising their security. Password managers also sync across desktop and mobile devices, meaning you can enjoy secure access anytime.

Two-factor authentication is another necessary safeguard. Securing accounts on your end doesn’t mean the companies that issue and manage them are immune from data breaches. Having 2FA active – natively or through your password manager – imposes a second check in numerical code form. It ensures that hacked credentials alone aren’t enough to take the account over.

Network security is also essential. It is unwise to enter passwords when connected to unsafe networks like public Wi-Fi. Such networks can be monitored or cloned, allowing attackers to intercept and use the data you transmit, including passwords.

Use a VPN whenever you’re unsure of a network’s trustworthiness. The VPN will encrypt the entire connection, securing any information you send and receive from hackers. It also replaces your IP with one from the VPN’s countless worldwide servers, throwing off advertisers and bypassing geo-restrictions.

Conclusion

We’ll be stuck with old-fashioned passwords for a while yet, at least until passkeys become the norm. Until that happens, practice responsible password habits to protect your accounts and make them impossible to crack.