No one wants to have to deal with the stress of being hacked. Most of us tries to take some sort of precautions to keep our personal information safe. But why are we so bad at practicing the password security habits that will protect us?
Unfortunately, the fear of hacking often isn’t enough to overcome the issue. But you don’t have to settle for simple, insecure passwords you can have stronger passwords and have peace of mind about logging in to your accounts, too.
If it's easy to remember then it's easy to guess.
One of the biggest mistakes people continue to make is using passwords that are easy to remember therefore too easy to guess. Mostly these passwords contains sensitive information, for example they use the name of the account plus numbers that have a meaning to them, they use different variations of the same dates, etc.). Unfortunately, humans are really bad at coming up with unique passwords that will outsmart hackers and their computer algorithms.
All those quizzes and games of questions you’ve been playing on Facebook? Your responses are a data for someone who wants to social engineer their way into your accounts. Birthdays, names, pets, and more all make terrible passwords. When your passwords are so simple and personal, it’s all too easy for a would-be hacker to take advantage. Also it’s not surprising then that they could guess their significant other’s password. The problem is, if your significant other can guess your passwords, chances are someone else could, too.
Fear makes you do silly things When asked why they continue to use guessable passwords despite warnings not to, most people say they do it because they’re afraid. Mostly people says they’re afraid of forgetting their login information. Also say they want to be in control and know all their passwords. Shortly, if every password were to be long and unique like the security experts recommend, people are afraid they would forget them, and have to deal with resetting them frequently! The fear is preventing you from doing what you know you have to do. The fear makes you think it’s better to use simple, memorable passwords that are the same or mostly the same across all of your accounts. It feels safe, because it feels like you have more control, but that control is just an illusion. In fact, you’re putting yourself at higher risk of hacking and account takeovers, which could cost you a lot of money, time, and a huge violation of your personal privacy.
Creating all passwords with a password generator The best way to avoid guessable passwords is by using a password generator to create every single password. A password generator relies on a computer algorithm – not faulty human logic! – to create totally unique, long, strong passwords. Every single account can have its own password. No two accounts need to share a password.
But what about remembering all of those passwords? A password manager is perfect for safely storing passwords and retrieving those passwords when you need them. Most password managers, like Eluvium, will detect login forms and fill login information for you, so you don’t even have to think about the password you need or go look it up. Accounts are stored in a searchable, easy-to-use digital vault, so you can feel in control of all of your passwords at all times, no matter what device you’re using. With so much of our work and socializing moving online now, it’s more important than ever to ditch bad password practices. View our full Psychology of Passwords infographic and report to discover more ways your peers are putting themselves at risk online. Are you falling into any of the same traps?
