Protecting our accounts and records is very important. It is something that we must take into account at all times. Undoubtedly a point to keep in mind is to use keys that are strong and complex. Now, bad passwords are very present and the problem lies with the users. We will explain why this happens and how to prevent our accounts from being stolen.
The problems with weak passwords are at the user level
Having a weak password is a significant problem, as it would allow intruders to access the network, our accounts, and ultimately compromise our privacy. It is something that we must take maximum care of at all times. It is essential to create keys that meet security requirements, but this is not always the case. The normal thing is that it is a problem at the user level, more than other conditions that can make a password not secure.
Easy to remember keys
One of the human mistakes users make is creating passwords that are easy to remember. This allows for easy login , without having to memorize complex passwords or use key managers.
However this is the worst we can do. A password that we can remember is not good. Ideally, it should be difficult to memorize, as that would mean that we are adequately protecting our data.
Repeat the same password
It is also an important mistake to repeat the same key and use it in several places at the same time. It’s another user-level glitch that could seriously compromise us. Let’s take as an example that we are using a password in a social network and that we use it in any page in which we have registered. In the event of a data breach on that page, it would produce what is known as a domino effect and affect other services and platforms.
Do not use a combination of characters
Another issue to take into account is that many users use only letters or numbers , as well as a combination of both at most. However this makes the key weak, which can be exploited through brute force with the necessary tools.
Ideally, you should have a combination of all kinds of characters. In this case we are talking about using letters (upper and lower case), numbers and also other special symbols. All this in a random way and have the right length. In another article we talked about the security of password managers.
Use of very generic keys
Undoubtedly the use of generic keys is still very present. We are talking about passwords of the type 1234, 123456 and the like. They are numbers or words that are repeated over and over again in the access codes. In fact, although it seems strange today, they are still the most used.
Logically this is a very important problem and would expose our accounts. We must never make use of this type of passwords if we really want to protect our users and prevent the entry of intruders that could compromise us.
Ultimately, these are some errors at the user level that we should avoid when creating a password. It is the main security barrier we have to prevent intrusion into our accounts and it is essential that we choose an appropriate one.