An ethical hacker has revealed the 10 popular passwords you should never use on your phone or laptop.
Joe Cockroft, a cybersecurity expert skilled in breaching complex systems and understanding criminal hacking methods, has revealed his big don’ts when it comes to protecting your data online.
In particular, he warned against using personal information as a password.
Cockroft said: “Using identifiable information, such as favorite football team, names of family members, or the city you live in, can make passwords easier to determine.”
Nowadays, where so many people are almost entirely reliant on online technology in one form or another, cybersecurity is something that remains of utmost importance (File Image)
“While this information may be easy to remember, it could also be easy for threat actors to discover it after a short time browsing your social media profiles, for example.”
‘The list of most common NordPass passwords shows how popular football teams are for UK passwords, as well as how many passwords lack complexity and often consist of a single word.
“Threat actors often use a list of thousands or millions of words to help them crack your password.”
He said that while using a memorable phrase like the name of your favorite sports team is “easy to remember,” it also makes it easier for the security of your accounts to be compromised.
Joe said this is because threat actors often use a list that can be thousands or even millions of words long, to allow them to find your password.
If you use passwords such as ‘123456’ or ‘password’ you must act now or you could be at risk as they are still some of the most used codes in the UK.
Joe also gave helpful tips on what to do if you’re having trouble finding a strong password.
He said this combination should be done in the form of letters, numbers and symbols that are complex and should never be reused in multiple accounts.
The cybersecurity expert added that you should also periodically check if your accounts have been compromised, so you can change your password and lock your account if necessary.
Joe Cockroft, a cybersecurity expert skilled in breaching complex systems and understanding criminal hacking methods, warned people who go online that their passwords are not as strong as they should be (File image)