Protect Your Cyber Passwords so They Can Protect You

Some of you may want to challenge this article’s title, and rightfully so. I bet some of you are thinking something along the line of; “It is the Password’s sole responsibility and core purpose to protect my accounts, files, and devices”. Also “Why is this article suggesting that I need to worry about protecting my password, I mean, I stopped writing the password on sticky notes years ago, and all those passwords have long changed.”

Well, please wake up and smell the java beans; I have news for you. Let’s start by stating that you are WRONG WRONG and WRONG; your passwords are, in fact, often the lowest common security denominator.

The Ultimate Vulnerability

Let’s explore how the password could become the weakest link and how it is a general vulnerability. Passwords are perceived by many as their primary internet protection mechanism when they can be the weakest link. This misperception is dangerous to cyber security and cyber security privacy in grand proportions.

With a growing roster of malware Android internet security exploits being released daily by digital thugs and cyber thieves, including iOS hacking hoodlums roaming the digital cyber wires, your passwords are on a 24/7 cyber threat and red alert.

Let’s take a deeper dive to understand the various threats to your passwords and how to increase your chances of avoiding being the following cyber security password theft victim.

Weak Simple Passwords

Cybercriminals are always on the lookout to hack simple weak passwords, simply put, because they are simple.

Astoundingly enough, going into 2022, many are still using weak passwords and are under the cyber delusion that it is OK. Well, I hate to be the one to spill the digital beans here, but it is an EPIC mistake.

Examples of Weak Passwords

For some, the issue could simply be perception and a non-technically inclined background, so let’s list a few well-known weak passwords in a top 20 list to help demystify the matter:

1. 12345
2. 123456
3. 123456789
4. test1
5. password
6. 12345678
7. zinch
8. g_czechout
9. asdf
10. qwerty
11. 1234567890
12. 1234567
13. Aa123456.
14. iloveyou
15. 1234
16. abc123
17. 111111
18. 123123
19. dubsmash
20. test

Since the above top 20 most weak password list is public knowledge, a hacker could just guess those without using any other tool since millions of simple passwords out there could exist. There are well-known tools that these hackers could use to auto-generate and attempt to break into your private cyber accounts.

Password Cracking Tools

1. CrackStation.

2. Password Cracker.

3. Brutus Password Cracker.

4. Aircrack.

5. RainbowCrack.

6. THC Hydra.

7. Cain and Abel.

8. Medusa.

Keyloggers

Keyloggers and all their respective variants will generally collect all keystrokes in a given device. Keyloggers have different contexts and designs, starting from “application-specific” keyloggers to keyloggers that are keystroke agnostic and will log all the keystrokes. Some keyloggers will upload the stolen private information in real-time, and some will work at regular intervals.

Simply put, if your device is infected with a keylogger, potentially all your most sensitive passwords could be exposed within hours, days, or weeks.

Protect Your Passwords

Antivirus protection and antimalware cyber security products are the best starts for you to protect your passwords so they can protect your accounts. Employing complex, strong passwords is another equally important step.