{"id":26755,"date":"2013-06-26T08:21:52","date_gmt":"2013-06-26T15:21:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=26755"},"modified":"2025-08-18T01:22:02","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T08:22:02","slug":"are-you-stressed-out-about-passwords-consider-a-simple-option","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/are-you-stressed-out-about-passwords-consider-a-simple-option\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Stressed Out About Passwords? Consider a Simple Option"},"content":{"rendered":"

Used correctly, passwords help keep your personal information safe, and if you\u2019re like me, you probably have dozens (or in my case hundreds) of online accounts and mobile apps that require one. So it\u2019s no surprise that people have adapted some coping strategies to make passwords memorable yet distinctive.<\/p>\n

The most common mistake consumers made, according to McAfee\u2019s recent Digital Asset Study, is using the same password for all or most online accounts. At least 55% of people admittedly store digital assets on their devices that would be impossible to recreate, re-download or re-purchase. While 72% of smartphone users and 88% of tablet users do not protect their devices with some sort of comprehensive security measure.<\/p>\n

Other common mistakes include, using passwords that are easy to remember (like a birthday or child\u2019s or pet\u2019s name) and writing down a password on a sticky note or slip of paper to make it easy to reference. Using the same password for every account makes it easier to remember how to log in, but it also makes it easier for hackers to access most or all of your accounts. All of these common tricks defeat the main purpose of a password\u2014protecting your private information.<\/p>\n

The Top Five most used passwords:<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. password<\/li>\n
  2. 123456<\/li>\n
  3. 12345678<\/li>\n
  4. abc123<\/li>\n
  5. qwerty<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    The best kind of password has all of the following qualities:<\/p>\n