Passwords are the keys to our lives. Anyone who cracks them can find out where we live, what we buy and who we chat to on the dating app. In the worst-case scenario, strangers can use them to access our online banking details or confidential information. Good passwords are therefore indispensable, but are far from the norm. Learn more about poor “password hygiene” and what makes a secure password.
Insecure passwords are popular
The most frequently used password in Switzerland in 2021 was “123456”. It was used around 130,000 times and can be cracked in under a second. It is followed by 123456789, 12345, password, 12345678, 1234, qwerty and 1234567. The password manager provider NordPass has listed the 200 most common passwords here.
We also use names and places as inspiration for our passwords. For example, this list by NordPass shows andrea, michael, thomas, portugal and lausanne as being in the top 50. It takes just two minutes to decode andrea – and just eight seconds for michael.
In addition to easily guessable passwords, the “one password for everything” strategy is also a security problem. However, it is still widely used. 92% of workers surveyed by Lastpass are aware of the increased risk of using the same password or variations of it, and yet 65% still pursue this strategy.
What is a secure password?
Secure passwords have the following features:
- They are at least 12 characters long. The longer, the better
- They contain upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters.
- They do not contain word sequences that are in a dictionary.
- They do not contain simple keyboard sequences (e.g. asdfgh).
- They are used for one account only. This means that each account has a different password.
The password "Ytmwigr@mWsNB%64" meets these criteria. Most of us can barely remember such passwords for our apps, online stores and bitcoin wallets. This is where a password manager will help you.
Forget all passwords – except one
The password manager is a digital safe for your passwords. The only password you have to think of and remember is the master password for the password manager. The rest is done by the software: it creates a separate, secure password with a hard-to-guess combination of characters for each online service and stores it. Optionally, many password managers allow two-factor authentication, which provides additional protection.
The best password managers according to Kassensturz
In March 2022, Kassensturz put 12 popular password managers to the test. It came to the conclusion that many good password managers are free. Another reason to start your password spring-clean right now!
Did you know? Swisscom also offers a password manager as part of its Identity Security app.
Useful links
- Our Security & Service products
- Keeping you save from scams on the internet
- Two-factor authentication for your Swisscom login
Do you have any other concerns? Put your question into our community and get help from other customers and experts. I would like to ask a question
