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World Password Day was this week, and while some folks may think they are clever when coming up with their passwords, they are actually making it easy for others to steal their info. That’s because many people are being inspired by their pets.
A new survey finds:
- 39% of American with pets have made their pet’s name part of a password for an online account.
- And that goes up to 50% for pet parents between 35 and 44.
- And 63% of parents with children under 18 have used their pet’s name in a password.
So, why exactly is that so bad?
- Well, pet passwords are some of the easiest to guess because the information is easily found by criminals.
- That’s because…
- 59% of people have posted a photo of their pet to social media.
- 48% have shared their pet's name on social media.
- 36% of those who have ever posted their pet's name on social media have 500 or more followers on their social accounts.
- And what’s worse, 47% of pet parents guilty of using their pet’s name in passwords have used the same password over multiple, if not all, their accounts.
- 23% have shared the password with folks outside their immediate household.
- 74% only change their password if they are forced to.
But pet name-inspired passwords aren’t the only ones that are easy to guess.
- Other things used in passwords that make it easy for criminals to steal your info include:
- Birthdays or anniversaries (40%)
- Family members' names (34%)
- Sports teams (22%)
Source: AP News