The days are numbered for the password “password” and “qwerty” (the top six letters on the left of a standard keyboard) – as they are the world’s most popular picks and get hacked easily.
Data shows common and obvious phrases such as “password” and “qwerty” – in reference to the common computer keyboard layout – are often among the most used passwords globally. Grahame Williams, identity and access management director at defence firm Thales, said passwords were “becoming increasingly insecure” and “easily hacked”.
He called on the industry to move to other forms of log-in such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) – where users must provide an additional layer of identification to log in – or biometrics such as face or fingerprint scans to improve the general safety of personal data. Experts advise people who are creating a password to use a collection of three unique, random words and not to reuse them across multiple accounts.
