Sky News lists the most frequently used passwords in the UK in 2022 in their article: the “UK’s most popular passwords revealed”. What might surprise you is that “password” makes number 1 on the list – meaning for most their data is at risk of theft. Popular passwords include Premier League Football teams, “abc123”, “qwerty”, “chocolate”, “letmein” as well as some variations on a theme.
So what were the 20 most used passwords in the UK? Why should we change our passwords if they appear on such a list? What guidance is there to help us choose a new password?
Well the answers to these questions, are discussed below.
Most Used Passwords in the UK in 2022
1. password
2. 123456
3. guest
4. liverpool
5. qwerty
6. arsenal
7. 123456789
8. password1
9. 12345
10. 12345678
11. chelsea
12. charlie
13. abc123
14. liverpool1
15. Parola12
16. football
17. monkey
18. chocolate
19. yuantuo2012
20. letmein
If you are using one of these passwords, it is time for a rethink. But why?
Password Lists
There are several websites that offer password lists. The intention of most is to encourage people to change or move away from commonly used passwords to stop giving hackers a head start.
Hackers often use “password spraying” to test passwords on these very lists to see if any work with your email address. This is often employed by bots. Therefore, a list of passwords is just the starting point for a hacker to try and figure out your password.
On the bright side of things, Sky News state in their article:
“While this list of passwords may have you shaking your head, there are also signs that we’re getting wiser when it comes to securing our accounts.
NordPass said the sample of passwords available for its research was smaller than usual this year, as more people adopt measures like multifactor authentication”
What Other Tactics Do Hackers Use?
There are a few, a hacker will often look at:
Sequential numbering combinations
As you can see from the list above, some passwords have one thing in common: sequential numbering. 123456 was the nation’s favourite in 2021. This year 12345 appears on this year’s list together with 123456789, 12345 and 12345678.
Common words and phrases
On the most commonly used is the word “password” which reaches number one, and “letmein” reaches number 20. “Chocolate” and “Football” are unsurprisingly there too.
Family names and pet names
According to Google, you should never, include a partner’s, pet’s or child’s name in your password. The same goes for the name of your favourite sport’s team. A hacker who is privy to any of your personal information will definitely check those to try to break your code.
Birthdays and other significant dates
Your birthday, anniversary, or the birthday of a loved one can seem like an obvious choice to you. However, according to Google, hackers will also be able to easily work this out if they have access to your personal information.
Reused Passwords
Sometimes old passwords can leak onto the dark web, that part of the Internet not visible to search engines. So if yours has been part of a data breach, then consider changing them if you have repurposed it other sites.
How to find out if your password has appeared in a Data Breach?
So how do you know if a password have appeared in a data breach?
Have I Been Pwned is a website which gather this information. Pwned Passwords are hundreds of millions of real world passwords previously exposed in data breaches. These are searchable via the link above. You can also check at Have I Been Pwned if your email address has appeared in a data breach too.
Phishing
One of the other tricks hackers use to get your passwords is to trick you into giving it to them. They fool you through what is known as a phishing scam, sending out fraudulent emails disguised as the real deal to get you to enter that information. If you are ever unsure of an email and where it is genuine, never click on a link or provide any personal data.
So, how do I Choose a new and Improved Password?
If you need to change your password for any reason, GCHQ (Government Communication Headquarters) have produced a handy guidance leaflet. You can download the PDF from the GCHQ website or via this link: Password_guidance_-_simplifying_your_approach.pdf.
About OutSec
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