SplashData has released its fifth annual list for the worst passwords on the Internet, and it looks like 2015 saw a popularity uptick with Star Wars-themed PWs — ones that also happen to be the most hackable.
The data was compiled from an aggregated two million accounts that were leaked (or more or less hacked), unceremoniously revealing that some of the old standbys, like "qwerty," "123456," "1234567" and so forth were still just as used — and just as hackworthy — as ever.
However, with the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in December 2015, as well as the hype that led up to the movie's highly-anticipated premiere, it's not that surprising that a few Star Wars-centric passwords enjoyed a bit of a boost — possibly more so for hackers and cyberscammers than anyone. The passwords-in-question included "solo," "princess" and simply "starwars." The Star Wars-flavored PWs made it into SplashData's top 25 out of a list of 100.
Despite SplashData's annual reports, the question remains: why keep up with these breakable, decipherable catchwords?
"Passwords based on simple patterns on your keyboard remain popular despite how weak they are," said SplashData CEO Morgan Slain in an official statement made about 2014's report. "Any password using numbers alone should be avoided, especially sequences. As more websites require stronger passwords or combinations of letters and numbers, longer keyboard patterns are becoming common passwords, and they are still not secure."
So, Star Wars fans: if your password is currently "princess" or "solo," you might want to reconsider changing it to something a bit more rigorous — like "J't'p'tan."
Via: Engadget
Photo: Christiaan Colen | Flickr
