Technology

Cyber security experts warns millions of Aussies are using weak passwords

Published

1y ago

Jun 25, 2023 / 6728 Views

Evan Walker

Australians are being urged to pick up their password game.

Experts have revealed a list of the weakest passwords in Australia, with 78 per cent of the population using the same password across more than one account.

A study, conducted for Telstra by YouGov, found pets, sports teams and birthdates were among the most used and also most predictable passwords.

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Its findings suggest 1.4 million Australians use the same password across 10 or more different devices and accounts.

And 1.5 million Australians say they keep their passwords somewhere easy to find, such as on the fridge, while 1.2 million keep them inside their wallet or purse.

Already this year, Australians have lost $194 million to scams and data hacking, according to ScamWatch data.

Australians are being urged to pick up their password game. File image Credit: Picture Alliance/Getty

Now, experts are urging everyone to check the strength of their passwords and employ some simple tactics to keep passwords private.

“Your password is the first line of defence when it comes to your online safety so don’t make it easy for scammers to make you a target,” Telstra’s cyber security expert Darren Pauli said.

“Criminals are relentless and will exploit Australians’ tendency to use the same password across multiple accounts.

“All it takes is one breach and multiple accounts can be compromised.”

Pauli added “contrary to popular belief” the best passwords are a unique and easy to remember passphrase which includes a few capitals or special characters.

What are the weakest passwords?

As well as using the same password multiple times, almost half (46 per cent) of Australians admit to having used easy to guess passwords such as:

• One in five (20 per cent) use their Pet’s name

• More than one in 10 (13 per cent) use “generic” passwords including “password”, “123abc”, “123456” or“987654”

• Almost one in 10 (9 per cent) have used their favourite sporting team

• A further 17 per cent have used their own birthdate

A large number of Australians (37 per cent) have also admitted to sharing their password, while 18 per cent say they do so across two or more accounts.