What does 123456 mean? It’s the most commonly used password!

Don't risk having your identity stolen!  

Just to start off with some numbers: around 30,000 websites are hacked every day worldwide, often due to bad (administrator) passwords. Social media platforms are also popular targets: an estimated 85% of social media hacks target Instagram accounts. These hacks often lead to identity theft, loss of personal data and financial losses. Also bear in mind that if cybercriminals crack your password, personal data of colleagues or fellow students as well as the AUAS-UvA systems are directly at risk.   

So... change your password regularly  

Passwords that remain unchanged for a long time are extra vulnerable:    

1. Data breaches: If your password ends up in a data breach, malicious people can gain access to your accounts. Changing them regularly reduces this risk.    

2. Repeated use of passwords: Do you use the same password for multiple accounts? One breach could then mean several accounts are compromised at once.    

3. Automatic hacks: cybercriminals check thousands of passwords per second via automated programmes (brute force attacks). A recently changed, strong password makes this more difficult.    

Use a Password phrase and manager  

Most people choose a password that can be cracked within seconds, such as a child's date of birth, favourite sports club, name of a pet, family member or movie. That such a weak password can lead to a lot of misery should be obvious by now. A few tips:  

• If you find it difficult to remember a long and tricky password, you can create a passphrase and customise it:  
  1. Choose a sentence: ‘My dog's name is Felix and is 3 years old!’  
  2. Make this into a password: MdnF3liX&3years!  
• Choose any two words from everyday things that have nothing to do with each other and complete it with a few characters: Key+Coff33!  
• Pro Tip: Use a password manager like 1password, bitwarden, dashlane and keepass. These allow you to create strong, unique passwords and store them securely without having to remember them yourself.  

Change your (private)passwords today  

Once a year you have to change the passwords for your UvAnetID anyway. Change all other (private) passwords regularly too, to keep your digital life safe. This way, you not only protect yourself, but also the systems we all rely on. Click here to see the requirements and tips for a safe password.

Top 10 most used passwords  

Every year, lists of the most commonly used passwords are published, often based on data from data breaches. These passwords are very unsafe because they are so easy to guess.    

1. 123456 
2. password 
3. 123456789 
4. qwerty 
5. 12345 
6. 12345678 
7. 111111 
8. 123123 
9. abc123 
10. password1