Passwords you should never, ever use

Too many of us use the same old, common passwords for our email and social media accounts, and we think we’re safe from hackers, but the truth is they know all the most commonly used passwords and they are eager to try them and break into your accounts. Don’t be a victim; avoid using these overdone passwords:

Password – this is known to be one of the most popular passwords ever used, this word stays at the top of all the lists and should be avoided if you don’t want your accounts to get hacked.

123456 and 12345678 – Despite being told not to use these passwords, people still can’t seem to understand how common they are, always avoid using number sequences and or repeated characters.

Qwerty – This word seems uncommon, but it’s really quite simple, just type it out on your keyboard and you’ll discover it’s just five adjacent letters in a row.

Letmein – when you choose a password make sure it’s memorable, but avoid using this phrase, it ranks quite high on many most-stolen password lists.

Monkey – don’t use passwords like this, it is easily guessable, common and too short.

Personal Information – any personal information such as pets, friends and family member’s names should never be used. Also don’t ever use your date of birth.

TIPS

Don’t use the same password for all your different accounts –
It is possible for hackers to hack one of your accounts, like your email and then try their luck and use the same password on your other accounts.

Change your password –
It’s important to update your password on a regular basis, especially the more important ones like Facebook and your email account.

Use symbols and at least one capital letter – 

Doing this turns your password into something more complex and can make it extremely difficult for hackers.

Written By: Christine Romans
Copy Writer at The Computer Guyz Cape Town