Despite the existence of two-factor authentication and reports of hacking incidents and leaked data, a study conducted by Virginia Tech University and Dashlane showed that many people still use predictable password variations.
In a report by Techspot.com, the study revealed that bad habits when creating passwords are factors in the 61 million leaked credentials the researchers analyzed.
The study also revealed the most common password variations that are still being used such as the popular keyboard characters 123456 and qwerty to top the list.
Another variation the researchers discovered is what they called “password walking” which involves choosing keyboard numbers and letters adjacent to each other such as 1q2w3e4r and 1qaz2wsx which are also considered insecure combinations.
The use of passionate and curse words such as iloveyou, f**kyou, f**koff, and a**hole are also popular among passwords as well as pop culture picks such as superman, pokemon, and slipknot.
Teams names in sports and leagues are also popularly used in passwords with the soccer teams liverpool and barcelona being included in the list.
Some people however makes it easier for hackers as they use site names with MySpace as the most popular in passwords.
Therefore, the study shows how password managers such as Dashlane and using two-factor authentication would always come in handy when it comes to creating and managing passwords.
(Photo source: motherboard.vice.com/ techspot.com)
