Tag Archives: Data Security

2025, Hacking, Security

Cybernews Cracks the Password Puzzle: What 19 Billion Passwords Reveal About Us

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We’ve all been there — that moment when the password box blinks impatiently, waiting for your brain to produce something secure and memorable. But what if I told you that billions of us are still relying on “123456” or “password” to guard our digital front doors?

Researchers at Cybernews have just released a fascinating and somewhat alarming analysis of 19,030,305,929 leaked passwords, and the findings tell a revealing story about human behaviour, pop culture obsessions, and our often lacklustre approach to security.

Only 6% of Passwords Are Unique – Let That Sink In

Out of 19 billion passwords, only 1.1 billion were unique. That means 94% of people are using the same passwords as someone else — and in the world of hacking, that’s music to a cybercriminal’s ears.

The most common passwords? You’ve guessed them:

  • “password” – used 56 million times

  • “admin” – 53 million times

  • “123456” – 338 million times

  • “1234” – found in nearly 4% of all passwords (that’s 727 million accounts!)

It’s 2025 and we’re still living in a world where “qwerty” and “abc123” are considered acceptable safeguards.

What We Love Shows Up in Our Passwords

The team at Cybernews created themed wordlists to understand what people use in their passwords. The results are both amusing and a little worrying.

Pop Culture Reigns Supreme

Characters like:

  • Mario (9.6M)

  • Batman (3.9M)

  • Joker (3.1M)

  • Thor (6.2M)

  • Elsa (2.9M)

Yes, even a magical ice queen made it onto the hacker’s dictionary.

Our Favourite Animals?

  • Lion (9.8M)

  • Fox (7.8M)

These majestic creatures might be noble, but they’re not secure.

Love, Tea, and Swear Words

  • “Love” appears in 87 million passwords.

  • Tea – our national treasure – is in 36 million!

  • And surprisingly (or not), words like “ass” (165M), “fuck” (16M), and “shit” (6.5M) are extremely common.

Seems like when people get frustrated with password rules, they get… expressive.

The Human Factor: Names, Cities, and Seasons

We seem to really love personal and familiar things:

  • Ana is the most-used name (178.8M times).

  • Rome is the top city (13M).

  • Summer (3.8M) leads the seasons, while May (28M) and April (5.2M) dominate the months.

  • Monday is weirdly the most popular weekday (800,000).

And professions like boss, cook, and hunter show up in millions of passwords. Is that confidence or wishful thinking?

Big Brands in Passwords: Not a Great Idea

Believe it or not, some people think referencing tech giants will protect them:

  • Google – 25.9M passwords

  • Facebook – 18.7M

  • Kia – 12.7M (your guess is as good as mine)

Why This Matters (and What You Should Do About It)

With only 6% of passwords being unique, dictionary attacks and credential stuffing become a walk in the park for bad actors. If your password is on one of these lists, your account could be next.

Top Tips for Better Passwords:

  1. Use a Password Manager – Tools like Bitwarden, 1Password or KeePass make strong passwords easy.

  2. Avoid Dictionary Words – Even “FrostyTheSnowman1983” isn’t safe if enough people use it.

  3. Go Long and Complex – At least 12 characters, mixing letters, numbers, and symbols.

  4. Don’t Reuse Passwords – Ever.

  5. Turn On 2FA – Always enable two-factor authentication where possible.

The Bottom Line

Your password is often the only thing standing between your private data and a very bad day. The Cybernews report doesn’t just expose poor habits — it’s a stark reminder that humans are the weakest link in cybersecurity.

So, before you set your next password to “GadgetMan2025”, take a moment. You’re worth a better lock on your digital door.

Matt Porter – The Gadget Man

Have you checked your passwords recently? Would you like me to review any password manager tools for you next?

BBC Radio CWR, Matt Porter, Payment, Podcast, Tap to Pay

The Gadget Man – Episode 183 – Are We Addicted to Apps?

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In the latest episode of The Gadget Man, I joined Lorna Bailey on BBC Radio CWR to explore a topic that’s close to all our smartphones — apps. From checking our health and managing our money, to securing our homes and snapping hundreds of photos we never quite get around to backing up, apps have become the digital wallpaper of our lives.

But here’s the big question: Have we become too reliant on them? And are there risks lurking in our seemingly innocent app folders?

During this episode, we chat candidly about the app overload many of us experience. Whether it’s a dozen different parking apps or a folder full of CCTV apps just for one house (guilty as charged), we’ve all felt the weight of digital clutter and the anxiety of deleting an app in case we “might need it someday.”

We also talk about the very real risks of having so much of our data connected to apps and the internet — and how tech companies benefit from our every tap and swipe. While some of this data helps deliver useful services, like live traffic info, it also opens doors to targeted ads, invasions of privacy, and even scams.

Tips for Staying Safe in an App-Heavy World:

  • Only download apps from reputable sources like Apple App Store, Google Play, or Amazon’s App Store.

  • Avoid sideloading apps from unknown third-party websites — that’s where trouble can start.

  • Keep apps up to date — security patches are often part of these updates.

  • Use antivirus apps to scan for threats, especially on Android devices.

  • Be mindful in public when making payments with your phone — contactless tech can be abused.

  • Back up your photos and data regularly to avoid heartbreak if your device is lost or damaged.

There’s also a moment of digital self-reflection: Are we hoarding apps the same way we hoard random kitchen gadgets — “just in case”? You’re not alone. I’ve got folders of unused apps, too.

And while we’re talking about clutter, let’s not forget the thousands of photos we store and forget — until it’s too late. If there’s one takeaway from this episode, it’s this: Back. Up. Your. Photos. Whether it’s to iCloud, Google Photos, or any other cloud service, it could save your most precious memories.

Listen to the full episode to hear all the laughs, insights, and a few home truths about our app obsessions — and maybe get inspired to finally sort out your own digital drawers!

Want to chat more about this topic? Drop a comment below or ping me on social media @gadgetmanblog — I’d love to hear about your app habits, fears, and favourites!

Data, Internet Security, Security

Ways To Protect Your Businesses Data

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Whatever sized business you have, whether it’s a one-man-band or a multinational, you have to invest in protecting your data. The web is filled with malware and cyber criminals all looking for a way into your precious data gold mine. If they are successful, then this could cause you a lot of problems. You are also vulnerable to powercuts or other such breaks in the normal running of things. Data is precious, yet at the same time quite vulnerable. Threats can come in many forms, and the consequences of this may be enough to put a business, especially a small one, out of business. However, with the right procedures and security, you can protect your business from this ever-growing threat.

Ways To Protect Your Businesses Data
Ways To Protect Your Businesses Data

Security Audit

It may be in your best interests to work with a professional and audit all your IT infrastructure. You need to know exactly what needs to be protected, so you are able to secure it appropriately. Think about the computers, backup system, any mobiles devices you may use, and the network. All this needs to be assessed in order to protect it fully.

Encryption

In the event that you have something stolen, encryption is a valuable asset. That is because no one will be able to access the data on a hard disk or thumb drive. You may lose the physical hardware but the data will be safe a secure. 

Outsource Security

If you do not have the capabilities to have a fully comprehensive security solution in-house, it is wise to outsource. Firstly you will know that your data is being properly protected by professionals who do this day in and day out. You will not have to worry that something was set up incorrectly. If there are any problems, you know they will be able to come and fix them straight away. Also, in the long run, it will save you time, money, and a lot of potential stress.

Use multiple-security solutions.

To protect against cybercrime, aka hackers, and their ever more sophisticated techniques, you need multi-layered protection on all the devices you have. A multi-security solution will be able to block attacks targeting your network, and it will notify you of this issue, so you are able to take immediate action. If you implement the right solutions, a hacker will see that your security is more trouble than it is worth. 

Server Protection

If you don’t have a server room with the associated backup, your data requires you may experience a whole range of issues. A server room keeps things at an ambient temperature to avoid the problem of over-heating, for example. They can also provide additional power should you suffer from a blackout which could result in the loss of a lot of data. You should consider data centre ups solutions. In an age where energy reduction is paramount, you should be thinking about ways to reduce your carbon foot front too. With this sort of solution, there is scope for you to balance your power output and make it more cost-effective.  

Data

Surprising Things That Put Your Data At Risk

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The start of the pandemic has seen a sudden surge in home-based work and, almost simultaneously, a sharp increase in cybersecurity attacks. For businesses of all sizes, cyber incidents became a top concern around the world. Experts estimate that the worldwide cost of cybercrime will rise to $6 trillion by the end of 2021. It goes with saying: the pandemic has caused major disruption in the workplace and the security around the workplace. 

Additionally, hackers have seized the unique opportunity to create pandemic-related scams, capitalising on pandemic anxiety and fear. Some hackers targeted stolen information from individuals and companies by creating a global map of COVID-19 cases with malware embedded inside it. Others targeted work-from-home individuals with brutal cyberattacks and phishing content, gaining protection to confidential files, work and home networks. Yet, as cybercriminals doubled their efforts, businesses and their teams rapidly learned to identify vulnerabilities and suspicious content. But cyber vulnerabilities can come in different shapes, some of which may be unexpected. Here are the most surprising things that can put remote workers’ data at risk. 

An unsafe backpack

Do remote workers still work from home? Recent surveys reveal that people are looking for new work environments, such as co-working spaces and their local coffee shops. Thankfully, many employees are familiar with the dangers of public connections. Therefore, many have been adding a VPN to their work routine. However, what they have not considered is the role their laptop bag plays. Indeed, a secure backpack makes it difficult for thieves on public transport to gain advantage of the crowd. Theft-proof backwards design means that nobody can access the content of the bag when you’re carrying it. Laptops, smartphones and other personal devices are unlikely to end in the wrong hand. 

 

Not using tech support to its full extend

We get it. Sometimes, you accidentally press the wrong button or pick the wrong option, and things can go out of control. This is especially frequent when downloading important documentation or using new tools without proper understanding. More people don’t realise that IT support professionals can help read between the lines and keep your data protected. Ultimately, the biggest vulnerability for your laptop is not the network or the digital solution; it’s the user. We are prone to make mistakes, so it’s helpful to gain tech guidance when needed. 

Long working hours

Working remotely tends to increase the average working day by up to two hours. The pandemic has boosted the UK’s reputation for being the “unpaid overtime capital of Europe” to new records. Unfortunately, working longer hours is no productivity miracle. It’s the opposite. The long-hours culture affects productivity, concentration and creativity, making overworked employees more likely to make mistakes. Phishing emails and scams can become believable communication when you’re too tired to think clearly. 

An unexpected compliment

Working from home can be tiring and stressful. Many employees agree that they’re having frustrating days when they feel that nobody is noticing their efforts. When you are isolated from your team, you could be more vulnerable to flattery. A scammer who pays a compliment, either on the phone or via email, is more likely to gain someone’s trust. 

Tackling cybersecurity threats further in a post-pandemic environment requires a deep understanding of human psychology. Criminals act when they see an opportunity, which means it’s essential for business and professionals to maintain a strong approach to their work routine.