23 Million+ Accounts Breached Used the Same Password!

When it comes to bad passwords, an analysis has concluded that ‘1213456’ is the worst of them all.

With data from HIBP (Have I Been Pwned), a website that allows users to verify their email addresses and passwords in regards to recent breaches, The NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre) has confirmed that a staggering 23.2 million accounts were left vulnerable at the hands of ‘123456’. Its close competitor, ‘123456789’, was used to secure 7.7 million times. Other common passwords include ‘password’, ‘qwerty’ and ‘1111111’- which were amongst the top five.

Not so surprisingly, many of the most hacked passwords included those of musicians, fictional characters, soccer teams, and names. Some of these even appeared hundreds of thousands of times.

Source: NCSC

The United Kingdom’s NCSC revealed the entire list of re-occurring passwords for breached accounts. These findings echo analyses already conducted before, similar to what SplashData produced.

For those users that are on NCSC’s list, they should change their passwords immediately.  If they really want to up their game, these tips will be of great use to them. Apart from said tips, internet users should take advantage of multi-factor authentication for an extra layer of security – which will take minimum effort to set up by the way.

Apart from the password risk list, the ‘UK Cyber Survey’ was also released by the NCSC. The findings highlighted people’s awareness and attitude towards cybersecurity.

The survey gathered data from 2500 people in the UK, from November 2018 to January 2019. It showed that only 15% of people claimed they know ‘a great deal’ about protecting themselves online, while 68% stated they know a ‘fair amount’.

Even though using strong passwords are important, enough emphasis cannot be placed on the fact that internet users need to use a VPN to stay safe and secure online.

If you are wondering how this is important, it is because by connecting to a VPN server internet users become invisible online. This means hackers, cybercriminals and third parties will not be able to track, monitor or access information for users that utilize a VPN.

Do keep in mind though, not just any VPN will do. If you truly value your safety and security online, you will need to use a reliable VPN like Ivacy VPN. Not only will you get impenetrable protection from threats online, but you will be able to access the internet in all its glory like never before!