People using ‘corona’, ‘lockdown’ as passwords

Research by NordPass has found that people continue to use simple passwords, including trending words and topics, despite security advice.

The password manager company found that people draw inspiration from current affairs when it comes to thinking up a new password. As such, passwords such as “corona” and “corona01”, or similar variations, have been used hundreds of thousands of times since 2020.

“Lockdown” and its variations have also trended, with people using the words as a password over 62 000 times.

But NordPass found that people don’t only draw inspiration from the pandemic. Other events that have inspired passwords include the 2020 US presidential election and more recently, Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Harry and Meghan.

So what’s the problem with this?

“The main issue with such passwords is that they are very easy to crack. In fact, a hacker can crack any dictionary word, as well as any name, almost instantly,” Chad Hammond, security expert at NordPass, notes.

The more complex a password, the less easy it is to guess or use software to crack.

As such, NordPass suggests using a manager to generate and store passwords.

You can also use services to make you aware if your password is compromised in a breach. Many password managers, including ones in internet browsers, are able to do this.

Meanwhile, the website HaveIBeenPwned is able to identify if your email, phone number, or password has been compromised in a breach.

Read more: Here are the most common passwords of 2020

Read more: Kaspersky finds risky password trends in South Africa