A significant number of Americans are using COVID-related passwords for their online accounts , according to a survey conducted by security expert group Security.org . The researchers asked 750 Americans about their online account strategies and overall online habits .
The use of COVID in online passwords
The research team, which published annual study on password “strategies” in the US, found that users are directly influenced by current events when it comes to choosing passwords. It was no surprise that the word COVID was among the top passwords used by 14% of Americans.
Another hot topic is, of course, the US presidential election . According to the study, 12% of Americans use the word “ Trump ” in passwords, while 9% incorporate the word “Biden” into their passwords.
Additionally, many people use personal information when creating their passwords. The report shows that 16% of Americans use their birth year in passwords. Another 16% use the names of their pets.
Security.org released its study today to coincide with Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Its finding that so many people are choosing simple passwords, such as the word COVID, is considered a concern for user security
What users should be aware of regarding their passwords
Cybersecurity experts advise users to choose strong and long passwords, including letters, numbers and other characters. They also recommend enabling two-factor authentication where possible. Two-factor authentication may involve sending a code to a user's phone or logging in via fingerprint or facial recognition.
In the event that a website suffers a data breach, it is important for users to change their password immediately, while it is also very important not to use the same password on multiple sites.
Small businesses targeted by hackers
Small businesses are often targeted for data breaches and other illegal activities. 28% of data breaches in 2020 involved small businesses. Avoiding popular words based on current issues like COVID goes some way to securing passwords. It’s also vital that businesses follow other recommended security practices, such as not using the same passwords across multiple websites and enabling two-factor authentication whenever possible.
