Technology
The most hacked band password is ‘Blink-182’
The world is awash in ’90s nostalgia — and it’s even showing up in our passwords.
A new study from the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has revealed the world’s most easily hacked passwords, CNN reports. The top no-brainer passwords overall are impersonal number combinations, like 12345. But in the category of “bands,” the most breached password is the name of the popular ’90s pop-punk outfit, Blink-182.
That means that if you’re part of the apparently enormous group of people who use their passwords to pay homage to the spirit of teenage rebellion, you’re at risk of getting hacked.
Blink-182 bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus is not stoked about his fans’ lax attitude on cybersecurity. He quote-tweeted the study, appending a withering “you guys.” to the news.
Drummer Travis Barker clearly did not feel as strongly about password health as his bandmate. His response to the news of these private tributes? A shrug emoji.
Blink-182 still tours, and hits like “What’s My Age Again” only get more salient as Blink’s formerly teenaged fans age. But, come on. That doesn’t mean your password is the right place to show your love for “Adam’s Song.”
Perhaps people opted to honor Blink-182 in their passwords because it’s a phrase that contains both letters and numbers. Many people mistakenly think this — along with adding in a rogue exclamation point or other character — is the key to password health. However, a passphrase that contains three or more random, personal, but not guessable words, is actually the Small Thing that could keep your accounts safe.
Now go change your passwords, Blink fans.
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