With the average cost of a data breach projected to reach $4.88 million in 2024, a 10% increase from 2023, users must adopt stronger password practices to safeguard their digital assets. The most commonly used password, 123456, has been employed over 3 million times and has appeared in more than 50 million data breaches. Organizations can also contribute by enforcing stricter password policies and implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security. The study utilized NordPass’s database of the top 200 global passwords, cross-referencing them with breach data from Pwned, spanning from 2007 to 2025. As cyber threats evolve, so too must our approach to password security. A recent study by KnownHost reveals alarming trends in password security. By moving away from predictable combinations like those listed above, users can significantly reduce their risk of falling victim to data breaches in an increasingly connected world. Cyber Security News is a Dedicated News Platform For Cyber News, Cyber Attack News, Hacking News & Vulnerability Analysis. Similarly, admin, a typical default password, ranks eighth with nearly 5 million breaches. It has been used 692,000 times and implicated in over 11 million breaches, exemplifying how predictable words are just as vulnerable as numerical sequences. Gurubaran is a co-founder of Cyber Security News and GBHackers On Security. 23.5% consisted solely of letters, and only 11% were purely numerical, yet these accounted for the majority of data breaches.
This Cyber News was published on cybersecuritynews.com. Publication date: Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:30:19 +0000