Typical VKontakte passwords or test your intelligence. The most complex passwords: examples. How to come up with a password

The VK social network has an excellent security system that protects users from guessing passwords for their pages, even if attackers find out logins from other people’s accounts. In most cases, when an account is “hijacked,” the user is to blame, and one of the reasons for this is the simplest password.

What does the simplest password mean? This is a lightweight password that usually consists of just a few numbers or letters. Here are examples of simple passwords:

zxcvbn

iphone

88888888

password

andrei

These are just a few examples, but you get the idea and that's the main thing. The more complex, and therefore more secure, the password, the lower the likelihood that the account will be opened by intruders.

How to come up with a complex password for VKontakte?

There are several different ways to come up with a password. We will look at one of the popular and at the same time valid schemes.

So, first let's decide on the number of characters in the password. As a rule, experts advise using at least 8 characters, but this is the bare minimum (by the way, many users use a 6-digit password at best). And although 8 characters is the minimum recommended length for a password, the actual number of characters in it should be at least 10-12. Tell me, is this a lot? But account security is hundreds and even thousands of times higher.

Now let's start creating a password. Remember, it must contain both numbers and letters of different case and even special characters.

The simplest option is to take some Russian word and write it in the Latin layout. For example, the word smartphone on the English layout it looks like this - cvfhnajy. This word has 8 characters. Few? Wait, we're not done yet.

So the word cvfhnajy. We add a number to it, for example, some kind of memorable one. Let it be the number 201. We get the word cvfhnajy201. Just in case, we write the password with a capital letter to make it more difficult for attackers and we get Cvfhnajy201. Enough? No, you need to add special characters, for example, * . Now our password looks like this - Cvfhnajy201*, as many as 12 characters, while the password itself is complex, but easy to remember. Of course, it is given as an example and we strongly do not recommend using it - come up with your own, fortunately, it’s simple.

By the way, just in case, you can write down the password itself somewhere in a notepad or notebook, and remove the latter as far as possible from human eyes.

Popularity is, in most cases, an extremely positive quality. Well, for example, a popular program, a popular singer. That is, it means that a certain object, animate or inanimate, with the word “popular” is very popular with everyone; and what’s more, some are crazy about it (this object).

It’s just a shame that it so happens that the most popular passwords actually have the exact opposite effect - an extremely negative one. Yes, Internet users like them, but it would be better if they didn’t like them.

Why? Their popularity is explained by their simplicity. It’s easy to compose, easy to remember... They say, here is my key, it’s quick to type, I’ll never lose it. For example, “1234”, “qwerty”, “abcdef”, etc.

Yes, this is true, but in terms of security, these same “hit” sequences, figuratively speaking, are nothing. You can pick them up in no time, without any hacking utilities, deep knowledge of programming and web technologies.

It would seem an obvious fact - Danger! Don't use it! But no, primitive citizens choose everything. They hope that no one will ever hack them. And they are mistaken! Then they pay for negligence in relation to the protection of personal data by losing accounts, funds, and confidential information. In general, they become the owners of many troubles through their own fault.

In this article, dear reader, you will become familiar with the secrets of this unwanted “popularity” and will be instructed on what passwords should not be in your profiles on various sites.

Alarming statistics

First, take a look at the list of the most common weak passwords used by Russian users:

“Hits” of international significance (used all over the world) also have a similar structure in their character set. In other words, they have not gone far in terms of primitiveness.

In 2015, the IT company SplashData analyzed over 2 million active passwords. Experts have compiled the TOP most frequently used simple passwords. The first three places were taken by these combinations:

- 123456
- password
- 12345678

As you can see, to type them on the keyboard, you need to apply a minimum of effort - press the keys sequentially. But this speed and triviality is destructive when applied to a password. Just imagine for a moment if you had a key of a similar design (meaning complexity) to a house, safe, car... Do you feel the possible consequences? It’s exactly the same on the Internet. There is no chance that computer thieves will steal your account with such a key from under your nose.

SplashData also noted in its research report that some fans of “famous combinations” preferred words often found in everyday speech: “starwars”, “football”, “solo”, “baseball” to top hits.

It is worth noting that these solutions are not the answer either. They are quickly picked up by burglars using special dictionaries.
Here is another TOP independent research. Do not use such combinations of symbols and numbers when registering on websites.

What do hackers know?

For those who don’t know: hackers are professional hackers of websites, programs, services and other computer systems. Who else but them should know which passwords are the most popular?

So here it is. In the fall of 2015, a certain hacker group publicly posted password hashes (encrypted passwords) from 36 million accounts on the dating site Ashley Madison. This huge database was not ignored by another group of hackers called CynoSure Prime. They found that over 15 million of these passwords were encoded using the well-known MD5 algorithm. They hacked (decrypted) 11 million of them and then published interesting statistics on them:

Of the 117162098 “opened” keys there were:

4,867,246 - unique;
630,000 - in the form of a username.

Most of the hacked combinations consisted of lowercase letters or only numbers.

The password length range was from 1 (!) to 28 characters. The most used key length was 6-8 characters.

But CynoSure Prime didn’t stop there and additionally compiled the TOP lists of the funniest and most primitive passwords. In these combinations, users used funny, obscene expressions, funny syntactic variations with the word “password”, etc.

Say no to popular passwords!

To avoid using “weak” passwords, follow these simple tips:

Use different character sets in the key - numbers, letters, special characters.
Use password generators.
Do not use dictionary words or primitive logical sequences (1234, abce).
Maintain a minimum key length of 6-12 characters (no less! or better yet, more).
Check keys for stability in special services.

Complex passwords are the key to your security on the Internet!

Imagine: someone could break into your apartment in real life, or even worse, get into your head, read or change your thoughts. Good prospect? Would you try to protect yourself from it?

Accounts on websites, social networks, programs are your electronic identities, and passwords are the only way to protect them from external influence. But the vast majority of people do not give them even a fraction of respect. Statistics have shown that the most popular passwords in Russia are so simple that even a child can open them.

What not to do

This article, of course, was written not for self-taught hackers, but for the most ordinary users. They should know what these passwords look like and avoid them at all costs. There are a few simple rules of what not to do if you want to keep your accounts intact. Otherwise, you will then have to apologize to friends and colleagues for sending spam and viruses. Here are the most important rules:

One account – one password. Passwords must be different for different accounts. Using one is a good help for burglars.
The longer the better. The password must be at least 8 characters long. Better - more than 10. Or 12.
There is strength in diversity. A strong password should combine not only numbers, but also letters and symbols. If possible, it is worth changing the register. Remembering this, of course, is more difficult, but also hacking.
What is written with a pen... The worst idea is to write down the password on paper and store it in your wallet or near your work computer. If you are unable to keep several combinations in memory, then it is better to use special programs to store them.
If a password has meaning, it is meaningless as a password. The sacramental “mother’s maiden name”, “first pet’s name” and other standard options - with social networks and blogs, their protective ability has become extremely low.

The rules, as you can see, are quite simple, but few people follow them. At least that's what the statistics say.

What are most often used as passwords in Russia?

Did you come up with your password this way too?

Only a small part of users use combinations of symbols, as expected. Others use meaningful passwords. And in Russia the following groups are most often used:

Date of birth. It is clear that it is impossible to forget your date of birth, but it is not difficult to find it. Some cunning comrades remember their children, parents, husbands/wives. A little more interesting, but also ineffective.
Phone number. The length of such a password is its plus, but the lack of symbols, and most importantly, the easy ability to find it, is a big minus.
Pet name. Very popular passwords, easy to remember, but just as easy to crack.
Combinations of numbers and letters located next to each other. Very common passwords, we will talk about them separately later.
Logical. To many people, the password “password” seems like an original and witty solution. The burglars are very grateful to them for this.

And there are quite a lot of similar examples. The most common passwords are neither elegant, nor original, nor resistant to malware and programmers.

The most common options in Russia

As already mentioned, most often users in Russia simply use combinations of buttons located nearby. This, of course, reduces the time it takes to come up with, remember and enter a password. But it makes hacking your account just as easy. Often, attackers only need to sort through a dozen of the most common keys to find the right one. Such lists are obtained by analyzing the databases of accounts on visited sites. And here is one example:

12345
123456
11111
55555
77777
qwerty
111111
00000
666666
123456789
123321
1234567
123123
gfhjkm
7777777
qwert
22222
555555
33333

Interestingly, such passwords are popular in Russia. In other countries, a similar list would look slightly different:

password1
abc123
myspace1
password
blink182
qwerty1
fuckyou
123abc
baseball1
football1
soccer
monkey1
liverpool1
princess1
Jordan23
slipknot1
superman1
iloveyou1
princess1
Jordan23

If, by an absurd chance, you see your password in this list, we advise you to change it immediately. Of course, if you want to protect your personal data from intruders. If not, put the password “123456” on your WebMoney wallet and check your luck.

No matter how much information security experts remind you of the need to use complex passwords and even change them periodically, the treasured combination “123456” continues to lead the ranking of the most popular passwords. After analyzing data from more than 10 million accounts that were leaked online over the past twelve months, Keeper specialists published the top 25 passwords of 2016. Most of them can be hacked in a few seconds.

And "google" won't help

Keeper is known for its password management app, and because the company uses its own analysis methods, this list differs from SplashData's annual rankings (which will be updated soon). The results are predictably disappointing - seven of the fifteen popular passwords are no more than six characters long, while some cracking tools allow you to find a short combination in a matter of seconds.

Neither a sequence of numbers in reverse order, nor more complex options like “1q2w3e4r” and “123qwe” will help protect your account. The password “google” (number 21 on the list) will also not be a serious obstacle to hacking. Experts have already stopped hoping for the prudence of users and believe that the only way out is to tighten the rules for choosing passwords on the part of Internet services.

Top 25 worst passwords of 2016 according to Keeper:

123456
123456789
qwerty
12345678
111111
1234567890
1234567
password
123123
987654321
qwertyuiop
mynoob
123321
666666
18atcskd2w
7777777
1q2w3e4r
654321
555555
3rjs1la7qe
google
1q2w3e4r5t
123qwe
zxcvbnm
1q2w3e

How to protect yourself

The most reliable are combinations with numbers, letters and other symbols, but without date of birth, names of relatives and other words that can be found in the dictionary. If the service has two-factor authentication, you should enable it too. You can also use USB hardware keys, including options with a fingerprint scanner.

Recent research shows that changing passwords frequently is not always beneficial. Over time, a person begins to choose very similar and predictable combinations, for example, with an additional symbol or one letter in uppercase. This way, if attackers get their hands on your old password, they can hack your account relatively easily.

Only at first glance, impenetrable passwords do not contain a logical structure and look like gobbledygook. Complex passwords are such only for those who do not know the recipe for creating them. You don't have to remember letter cases, numbers, special characters and their order. All you have to do is choose a memorable one and follow simple tips for creating strong passwords.

Nursery rhymes

We take any children's rhyme or counting rhyme as the basis for the password. It is advisable that it be found only in your area and not be generally known. And better than your own composition! Although any children's rhymes will do, the main thing is that the lines are firmly stuck in your head from a young age.

The password will consist of the first letters of each word. Moreover, the letter will be written in uppercase if it is the first in the sentence. We replace some letters with numbers similar in spelling (for example, “h” with “4”, “o” with “0”, “z” with “3”). If you don’t want to get too confused with replacing letters with numbers, look for a counting rhyme that already contains numbers. Don't forget about punctuation marks that separate words and sentences - they will come in handy.

Example:

The turtle has its tail between its legs

And she ran after the hare.

Got ahead

Who doesn't believe it - come out!

We replace the letters “h”, “z” and “o” with similar numbers. The second, third and fourth lines begin with capital letters and are therefore written in uppercase. Include four punctuation marks. Of course, we write in Russian letters, but on the English keyboard layout.

The 17-character password is ready! It may not be perfect because it contains repeated characters and consecutive lowercase letters and numbers. But to call it simple is certainly hard to come by.

Favorite sayings

The scheme is similar to children's counting rhymes. Only as a basis you take your favorite and very memorable phrases of thinkers, celebrities or movie characters. You can complicate your life somewhat by replacing the letter “h” not with “4”, but with “5”, for example. There can never be too many confusing maneuvers!

Example:

I found out that I have

There is a huge family:

River, field and forest,

In the field - every spikelet...

Replace the letter “h” with “8”, do not forget about upper case and punctuation marks.

Ze,8evTjc^H,g,bk,Dg-rr…

Jargon and terminology

This implies the use of professional jargon that is understandable to an extremely narrow number of people. These words are much more distant from the average person than the criminal sayings that are widely covered on television and the streets of any city.

For example, you can use a hospital discharge or a tricky medical definition.

Example:

Cyclopentaneperhydrophenanthrene is a 28-letter term. It turns out to be a bit long, so I propose to throw out the vowels and dilute the remaining consonants with upper case.

Memorable dates

Of course, your birthday or the day you start your married life is not the best basis for a password. The event should be of exceptional importance, and only you should know about it. For example, this could be the day you ate gum for the first time, ran away from class, or broke your heel. Since the password will be based on numbers, it would be a good idea to mix them with letters.

Example:

10/22/1983 and 06/16/2011

Replace the dots separating the day, month and year with any letter, for example the small English “l”, which is very similar to the quite often used separator “/”. Between dates we will put an underscore character “_”. Let's replace the zeros with the letters "o".

Visual Key

Use the smartphone unlocking technique on your keyboard as well. Think of any shape and “slide” your finger along its contours.

Don't forget to go through the numbers, change the horizontal and vertical direction of movement. And, unlike me, be imaginative!

Conclusion

The proposed methods for creating a password that is memorable, but at the same time quite difficult to understand, can be changed and combined at your discretion. It is enough to think about your super password once, and you can use it in the presence of a stranger without fear.

How do you choose your password?