Be careful with passwords chosen easily, they can lead to scams. You should know that a computer is capable of testing tens of thousands in less than a second!
Published on 18/11/2024 12:06
Reading time: 2min
We tend to lack creativity when choosing a password on the internet. This is the French podium for passwords revealed in mid-November by a study. In first place we find the sequence of numbers “123456” then the same thing, up to nine and in 3rd position: “azerty”, or the letters in keyboard order. We also find the words “Marseille” and “doudou” in the list.
This analysis is published by a company specializing in password management, which notably worked from leaked data. What is reassuring is that these leaks are generally observed on less sensitive sites. This is what Jean-Jacques Latour, director of cybersecurity expertise for cybermalveillance.gouv.fr, explained. However, he confirms that we use the same password too often for different accounts, and that it is generally not robust enough. The risk of using a weak password is that a crook will discover it and gain access to your data. Imagine everything you shared by email: a pay slip, the identity card of which you sent a copy, your RIB, so much information that the scammer could then use.
There are two techniques for discovering a password: the dictionary attack, which consists of testing words one after the other, and the brute force attack. Here, it’s about trying all possible combinations. However, according to Jean-Jacques Latour, a computer is capable of testing tens of thousands in less than a second. So, if many sites limit the number of attempts, it is important to choose a good password: first, give it at least 12 varied characters, with uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. Next, choose a unique password, especially for your mailbox. And if you fear not retaining them, use a manager: cybermalveillance.gouv recommends KeePass: a small free software, certified by Anssi, the national cybersecurity agency.
