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It’s not a great time to be relying on a weak password to secure your online accounts. Of course, it’s never a great time to be relying on a weak password… but security experts have warned that last year saw cyber security threats increase by a fifth (20 percent) worldwide. And that trend is unlikely to reverse anytime soon as many of these campaigns have been hugely successfully, netting millions of credit card numbers, mobile numbers, and home addresses for cyber attackers.
A recent survey conducted by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) proved that UK passwords are often comprised of easily-guessable words or names, including pet’s names (15 percent), family members’ names (14 percent), an important date in their life (13 percent) or their favourite sports team (six percent). Given there are 53 million adults living in the UK, that’s roughly 7.9 million people using the name of their pet to secure their social media profiles, emails, online banking, and more. As such, there could be millions of ideal targets for criminals relying on trial-and-error techniques to break into online accounts.
In response to the survey, cyber security firm Nexor – which has contracts with the UK Government – has issued a warning to users worldwide. Sarah Knowles, principal security consultant, said: “No one is immune to the threat of cyber attacks. We have recently seen cyber criminals imitate the World Health Organization (WHO), the US Centre for Diseases Control (CDC) and the UK government, by creating false domains and text messages requesting passwords and financial contributions.
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“These types of scams are only becoming more and more common – and, sadly, the cyber criminals are becoming very convincing. You will have heard time and again to ensure your passwords are all unique and cannot easily be guessed, and there is good reason for that; a single cyber attack could cost you thousands of pounds. So while you may be in love with your new puppy, Bella, it definitely isn’t a good idea to combine her name with a memorable date, which an attacker could easily suss out through a bit of digging on social media.”
Thankfully, Nexor has compiled a definitive list of the riskiest words to include in any of your passwords. These tally with the NCSC research around how people put together their passwords. If any of these words are found in the passwords you use every day – it’s time to make a change. And make it pronto.
Pet Names
- Bella
- Poppy
- Lola
- Luna
- Alfie
- Milo
- Max
- Bailey
- Ruby
- Charlie
- Buddy
- Daisy
- Teddy
- Molly
- Oscar
- Bob
- Coco
- Hugo
- Archie
- Rosie
- Simba
- Leo
- Nala
- Tilly
- Willow
- Millie
- Loki
- Names
- Oliver
- Olivia
- George
- Amelia
- Noah
- Isla
- Arthur
- Ava
- Harry
- Mia
- Leo
- Isabella
- Muhammad
- Sophia
- Jack
- Grace
- Charlie
- Lily
- Oscar
- Freya
- Jacob
- Emily
- Henry
- Ivy
- Thomas
- Ella
- Freddie
- Rosie
- Alfie
- Evie
- Theo
- Florence
- William
- Poppy
- Theodore
- Charlotte
- Archie
- Willow
- Joshua
- Evelyn
Sports Teams
- Team GB
- Paralympic GB
- England Women’s National Football Team
- England National Football Team
- GB Swimming Team
- England National Rugby Union Team
- England National Rugby League Team
- Great Britain Athletics Team
- England National Cricket Team
- New Zealand National Rugby Union Team
- Harlem Globetrotters
- Liverpool F.C.
- England Men’s National Football Team
- British Gymnastics
- England Women’s Cricket Team
- British and Irish Lions
- Brazil National Football Team
- England Women’s National Rugby Union Team
- Mercedes F1
- FC Barcelona
TV Shows
- Only Fools and Horses
- Planet Earth
- Fawlty Towers
- The Blue Planet
- Blue Planet II
- The Two Ronnies
- The Simpsons
- Planet Earth II
- BBC News at Ten
- The Flintstones
- Dad’s Army
- Blackadder
- The Vicar of Dibley
- Blue Peter
- The Chase
- The Great British Bake Off
- Mr Bean
- David Attenborough Natural Curiosities
- Life on Earth
- Morecambe and Wise
Most Common Birthdays Found In Passwords
- 26 September
- 25 September
- 24 September
- 27 September
- 30 September
- 1 October
- 23 September
- 19 September
- 18 September
- 2 October
- 29 September
- 22 September
- 28 September
- 20 October
- 3 October
- 17 September
- 21 September
- 4 October
- 16 September
- 12 September
Common Birth Years
- 1959
- 1960
- 1961
- 1962
- 1963
- 2004
- 2005
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 1984
- 1985
- 1986
- 1987
- 1988
- 1979
- 1980
- 1981
- 1982
- 1983
Thankfully, it’s not all doom and gloom. Nexor has also put together some helpful tips to keep everything under lock and key. Here are some of its essential tips to make sure that your online accounts are safe from hackers.
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