The thorny issue of password security in 2023

2 minutes read

Internet users continue to use predictable and easily hackable passwords, despite increasing risks of cybercrime. Here’s an alarming overview of the situation and recommendations for effectively creating and managing your passwords.

Table of Contents

The worrying observation about passwords in 2023

As we enter a new digital era in 2023, the issue of passwords remains more relevant than ever. According to NordPass, up to 70% of the most commonly used passwords this year can be cracked in less than a second. This alarming statistic comes from extensive analysis of large data breaches in attacks on online services.

The results are hardly surprising, with a list of the 200 most used passwords dominated by simple combinations like “123456”, “111111”, “qwerty” or “password”. These passwords, which can be cracked in the blink of an eye by any experienced cybercriminal, reveal a persistent neglect of good digital security practices.

Sector initiatives to strengthen security

Faced with this worrying observation, the industry has implemented various measures to strengthen password security. One of these is two-factor authentication (2FA), which adds an extra layer of security by requiring not only a password, but also information that only the user can know or possess.

Additionally, major companies like Apple, Google And Microsoft support the use of unique passkeys and codes linked to specific devices such as computers, tablets or smartphones. These new innovations are promising and could help improve user security in the future.

How to effectively create and manage your passwords?

Knowing that passwords remain the primary means of authentication on the Internet, it is crucial to learn how to create and manage them effectively. Here are some recommendations:

Avoid using common words or typical numbers.
Do not use personal names, pet names or dates of birth.
Mix upper and lower case.
Combine numbers and letters.
Include special characters.
Increase the length with as many digits as possible.
Don’t use the same password for all sites.
Use specific passwords that are as secure as possible for banking and online shopping.
Keep the password safe from third parties.
Do not share the password with anyone, even in the case of supposedly official requests via email or messages from messenger services.
Change your passwords regularly and delete online accounts that are not in use.

The importance of password managers

Password managers are another solution for securing your passwords. These applications automate the creation and access to different websites and services, thereby reducing human errors. Here are some popular options:

KeePass : One of the oldest, it stores passwords in an encrypted database accessible by a password or a digital key.
Bitwarden : It works as a web service accessible from any desktop browser, and has mobile applications for Android and iOS.
Passbolt : Designed specifically for work teams, you can self-host the program on your own servers to have full control over the data.
Psono : A self-hosted solution that offers an attractive web client written in Python. The source code is available under the Apache 2.0 license.

To conclude, although the situation is worrying, solutions exist to strengthen the security of your passwords. You just need to take the time to put them in place.