Brits are being urged to be more vigilant with their passwords as they face losing thousands to hackers online. Consumer experts at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have revealed what type of passwords to avoid in order to prevent criminals from stealing money and personal information.
It said more than two billion passwords were leaked in 2021 in data breaches and nearly two-thirds of people use the same password across multiple accounts. If a password has been breached and is the same one used across several different platforms, hackers could have access to multiple accounts, including on social media and online banking.
Using personal information like street names, the name of a pet and surnames should also be avoided at all costs, as these kinds of passwords are common and easy to guess. Secure passwords will be at least eight to 12 characters long and will use a combination of upper and lowercase letters, symbols and numbers.
John Stirzaker, consumer expert at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk, said: “It’s shocking to learn how many passcodes have been leaked, which means millions face having their bank details stolen by online criminals. We don’t want anyone falling victim to hackers by simply choosing a password which is easy to crack or by using the same one for multiple accounts.
“The moment someone has figured out one of your passwords, it’s more than likely they’ll target the rest of your accounts, especially your banking apps. Hackers can attempt to log into your email and change the passwords on all of your accounts, giving them full access to your information. We’ve put together a quick guide on the types of passwords people should be avoiding in order to keep their information and accounts safe.”
The types of passwords to avoid using
The same passwords for each account
If a hacker cracks one password and it’s used for all of your other accounts, they’ll have full access to your information and potentially bank details. Make sure to change it up for each account and to enable two-factor authentication for an extra layer of protection.
Mum’s maiden name
Using a mother’s maiden name makes it easier than ever for hackers to get into your bank account. Most bank settings have extra security questions to protect your account and one of them is typically “What is your mother’s maiden name?” - this means even if they can’t get the password right but they know the answer, they may be able to access your funds.
Street name
A home address is one of the easiest pieces of information hackers can find, especially when you’re signing up for all sorts of online subscriptions. If you have a simple street name, a hacker can use the information to get into your account.
Name of pets
If you have pictures of pets across your social media, a potential hacker can test out the name when getting into your account. It’s also a commonly used security question for banking along with your mother’s maiden name, so make sure not to include any mention of your pets in the code.
Never use 'Password'
It’s mind-boggling to think that people use it - but it happens. Never use “Password” “Password!” or even “Password1” as it’s the first step online criminals will test out, particularly if they think you’re less tech-savvy.
Don’t put '1' after a name
If you’ve changed your password after noticing an unusual attempt to log into your account, don’t just simply pop a “1” after your password. Change it up completely - use unusually long words 12 characters and above, include multiple numbers and put in a range of special characters.
Surnames
Avoid using your surname in the passcode or any mention of it even with special characters afterwards. It’s an easy code for hackers to predict and it’ll allow them to access your information quicker.
Obvious patterns like 1234
Even if you include numbers after a name it still doesn’t mean you’re off the hook from being hacked. Having “1234” in the password is an easy code to crack, so be unique when using numbers or special characters.
All caps
Having caps in the password strengthens its protection against scammers, but simply having all of it in caps makes it weaker. Be savvy with capital letters by using them on random letters rather than all of them.
