Top 10 passwords to avoid

Have you ever lost your keys and searched everywhere only to find them still in the open door?

House keys are just like network passwords. They protect your valuable files and organizational information.

But according to a recent study by Impervia, too many computer users today have passwords which are easily compromised. Here are the top 10 passwords on a recently hacked social networking website.

1. 123456
2. 12345
3. 123456789
4. Password
5. iloveyou
6. princess
7. rockyou
8. 1234567
9. 12345678
10. abc123

To protect your data, Impervia recommends the following when creating or changing your password:

A. Avoid names, slang words, dictionary words or trivial passwords (consecutive digits, adjacent keyboard keys. etc)
B. Choose a password with eight or more characters. 50% of all passwords are seven characters or less.
C. Your password should contain a mix of four different types of characters—upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers and special characters such as !@#$%^&.
D. Take a sentence and turn it into a password…something like “This little piggy went to market” might become “tlpWENT2m”

Don’t leave your keys (passwords) in the door for just anyone to walk in and steal your intellectual property.