Once a year, the Hasso Plassner Institute publishes the “List of Shame” – the TOP 10 most popular passwords 2020: what it looks like this year and what companies can learn from this list …

Companies not immune to “12345”

The security level of these passwords can be compared to the following symbol – a front door with the key already in it. The hacker does not even have to make an effort – turning the key is enough. If you look at this list of top passwords and see teenagers sitting in front of you who “don’t know any better yet,” you’re wrong … Such insecure passwords are peddled in companies, too: For example, they are brought in by employees who also use these passwords privately. 

“lol123” – no laughing matter

What else can be gleaned from this sad top list: Strings of numbers in particular are always popular and represented several times in this TOP 10. This shows that passwords like “12345” or “123456789” are longer or shorter depending on the minimum requirement. And it also proves something else important: People who use these passwords are aware of the security guidelines – they just, unfortunately, bypass them easily or meet them only on the minimal principle in order to be able to register. With a password manager like Password Safe, password policies can be easily implemented so that passwords à la “213456” are nipped in the bud.

Read here more about good password hygiene.