These days, just about everything online requires a password—and for good reason. With the rise in scams and cybercrime, protecting your digital identity is more important than ever.
But even though we know passwords are necessary, many of us still make the mistake of using ones that are easy to remember—and, unfortunately, easy to hack.
According to CNBC and password management tool NordPass, many commonly used passwords can be cracked in less than 17 seconds. Yes, you read that right.
That means if you’re using one of these weak passwords, your account could be compromised in a matter of moments.
So, what are the worst passwords?
Some of the most overused and easily hacked passwords in North Dakota and across the country include things like:
- 123456
- admin
- 12345678
- 123456789
- 1234
- 12345
- password
- 123
- Aa123456
- 1234567890
- UNKNOWN
- 1234567
- 123123
- 111111
- 12345678910
- 000000
- admin123
- ********
- user
While these combinations might be easy to remember, they’re also the first guesses hackers make.
If you recognize any of your own passwords in this list, it might be time for an update. Experts suggest creating more secure passwords by mixing uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
Even better, consider using a password manager.
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Most smartphones and browsers now offer built-in password managers that can generate strong, unique passwords and store them securely so you don’t have to remember them all.
The bottom line?
Don’t wait until your account gets hacked to take password security seriously. A little effort now can save you a lot of trouble later.
