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Nord Security has found that a surprisingly large number of Aussies are still using predictable passwords and common combinations to protect their personal information.
The cyber security firm reveals the top 20 passwords used in Australia and just how easy the combinations are to crack. The global security firm has found an astonishing number of Australians continue to use predictable combinations to protect their personal information.
The most common passwords used by Aussies are shockingly weak and predictable passwords.
The firm found "123456" was the most common password used by Australians, with the combination recorded a whopping 308,000 times.
The second most preferred password was simply "password", which featured 191,800 times and would take a hacker just one second to crack.
Coming in third was "lizottes", a slightly less common combination that was used 98,220 times and would take three hours to unlock.
The analysis also found people were fond of using their names as passwords with "Charlie" ranking in at 11, and "Michael" at 28.
Nord Security found Australia ranked high on its risk index compared to other countries across the globe.
The index measures the number of passwords leaked per capita, split into three categories: low, average and high.
The use of predictable passwords in Australia comes amid the Optus data breach, which has compromised the personal information of up to 9.8 million customers.
The firm advised creating a complex password containing 12 characters with a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, to keep hackers at bay.
"A single password for multiple accounts is a hacker's delight," Nord Security researchers said.
"If only one of the accounts is compromised, consider all your other accounts jeopardised."
To add another layer of protection, the firm recommended never to use the same combination on multiple platforms and to change passwords every 90 days.
Most Common Passwords used in Australia in 2021:
Nord Security compiled a list of 200 passwords used in 2021, ranking them by the number of times they have been used.
[Related: 1 in 5 Aussies encounter scams on a daily basis, new research reveals]
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