With cryptocurrencies, security should always be on the highest level. All this usually starts with selecting a strong password (e.g. at an exchange). It’s a good idea to select one which is as original as possible and, at the same time, not easily recognizable. In this regard, recent research has compiled the 25 most used passwords in the digital world, which can be hacked easily.

Weak Passwords

A recent study conducted by ImmuniWeb gathered passwords that belonged to employees in Fortune 500 companies. Out of a total number of 21 million, over 16 million were compromised in the last 12 months. More importantly, 95% of all passwords were either too simple or they lacked any encryption.

The study reveals a striking difference between the most exposed industries. Technology and finance are at the top, with around 5 million stolen passwords. They are followed by healthcare, industry, and energy, with almost 2 million. Aerospace and defense had half a million hacks, making them the least compromised industry.

Most Used Passwords

These were the passwords most often used by the various industries:

Technology: passw0rd; 1qaz2wsx; career121; abc123; password1.

Finance: 123456; welcome; old123ma; student; 456a33.

Healthcare: exigent; password; pass1; 000000; 123456.

Industry: 12345678; !qaz1qaz; comdy; password; passer.

Energy: password; 123456; snowman; old123ma; 789_234.

Protection in the Crypto World

The cryptocurrency world can easily fall under the two most hacked industries – finance and technology. How to ensure the protection of your accounts then? One of the simplest steps is not to share your password with anyone and not to store it in your computer. However, it’s also essential to take additional measures to reduce the risk substantially.

A general rule of thumb, when it comes to cryptocurrencies, is not to store large amounts of them on exchanges. Instead, it is recommended to use the so-called cold wallet, a device that’s not connected to the internet and can’t be accessed.

In addition, whenever possible, always enable two-factor authentication, which will require an additional confirmation before doing a transaction or logging into your account. It is also recommended to use different emails and different passwords for each of your accounts.