Change That Password Today!

Today is World Password Day, so here is your annual reminder to refresh our passwords for enhanced security.

Last year’s most common passwords in the U.S. included “123456,” “password,” “admin,” “1234,” and “unknown,” none of those are secure.

Each year, Hive Systems releases a graphic illustrating the time it would take hackers to crack passwords based on their complexity.

Simple numeric passwords can now be cracked instantly, while even a nine-digit numeric password would take just six minutes. However, incorporating uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as special symbols like exclamation points, significantly improves security.

Combining these elements with numbers, a nine-character password would take a minimum of 479 years to crack!

For maximum security, opt for an 18-character password, which would require hackers to persist for 19 quintillion years. That’s 19 followed by 18 zeroes!