Alarming research by the cybersecurity company, Kaspersky recently showed how very easy it is for hackers to guess passwords. And nearly in 45 percent of the cases, the study showed that passwords could be cracked within a minute. This means that almost half of all passwords used by people can be easily guessed by cybercriminals.
For example, the study was based on 193 million English passwords in a vast database. Of these, they concluded that 87 million passwords would be cracked in a short space of time. This means that 77% of the passwords analyzed would take more than a year to crack, which is a level higher of security than the numbers for the hackers found during the experiments.
This is why Kaspersky advises all users to have a different password for each online service they use. That includes using the same password for multiple accounts.
Additionally, they caution from using readily available information like birthdays, names or common words. Instead, complicate your passwords with combinations of letters, numbers, and special characters; that will make the password secure.
Meanwhile, Kaspersky also came across 32 million password-stealing attempts on at least 12% of all devices the company monitors in 2023. This is a rather staggering number, and it reinforces, too, the idea of practicing good digital hygiene in terms of changing passwords and being careful where one might be utilizing these tools.
The study also revealed that 57% of passwords consist of dictionary words. Passwords composed of words that can be located in a dictionary are much more likely to be guessed and accordingly less secure. This practice is a huge blow to the security of the combined passwords.
The research from Kaspersky is a wake-up call to the lazy password practices. As cyber threats evolve, it is important for users to proactively safeguard their information online. Basic best practices around things like strong, unique passwords or password elements and changing them out consistently can greatly help protect against theft of one’s data from malicious hackers.
