1 week Ago By Firstpost
A new NordPass survey has shed light on a concerning trend: India is using some of the weakest and most easily cracked passwords globally. In the sixth edition of its annual Top 200 Most Common Passwords report, which spans 44 countries, NordPass found that the infamous “123456” tops the charts as the most used password worldwide and in India. Out of over 3 million users globally who favoured this password, nearly 77,000 were from India.
Another favourite, “123456789,” holds the second spot globally and ranks fourth in India. The study, done in collaboration with NordStellar, reveals that nearly half of the world’s most common passwords consist of easy keyboard patterns like “qwerty,” “123456789,” and “1q2w3e4er5t.” This trend is equally prevalent in India, where convenience often outweighs security.
Managing passwords isn’t easy, with an average internet user juggling 168 personal and 87 work-related passwords, so people often default to simple, memorable options. Unfortunately, these choices make them vulnerable to hackers, as experts warn that many of these passwords can be cracked in under a second. One of the top offenders, “qwerty123,” is still widespread and features prominently in countries like the Netherlands, Finland, Canada, and Lithuania, as well as in India’s top 10 list.
The word “password” itself is another common pick, now ranking as the second most used password in India and a favourite in places like Australia and the UK. In India, there is a hint of cultural flair in passwords, with variations like “Indya123” replacing “India123.” Other frequently used passwords include “admin” and “abcd1234,” echoing past trends of choosing simple, easily guessed patterns.
The survey highlights a worrying statistic: 78 per cent of the world’s most common passwords can be cracked in under a second, up from 70 per cent last year. This increase indicates that password safety is getting worse, not better, despite growing awareness. The situation isn’t any better in the corporate world.
According to NordPass, nearly 40 per cent of common passwords are used interchangeably between personal and business accounts. Business users often default to generic passwords like “newmember,” “newpass,” “welcome,” and “newuser.” Worse still, many employees stick with initial default passwords like “admin” or “temppass,” creating a major security risk.
Reusing passwords across personal and work accounts further exposes organisations to cyber threats. The findings underscore the urgent need for stronger, more unique passwords and better security practices, both for individuals and businesses, to mitigate the rising risk of data breaches..
