When you create a password, you probably think of something easy to remember — maybe your pet’s name or your birthdate. But guess what? That’s exactly what hackers hope for.
There are several ways your password can be stolen, but the most common is called brute force. In this method, a computer program tries every possible combination of letters, numbers, and symbols until it cracks your code. It’s like trying every key on a giant keyring — one of them will eventually work.
Another trick is dictionary attacks. Hackers use a list of common passwords (like “123456” or “password123”) and try those first. Shockingly, millions of people still use simple passwords like these.
Some hackers don’t even need to guess. If you use the same password on different websites, and one of those sites gets hacked, your password can be leaked. This is called credential stuffing — using stolen info from one site to break into others.
So how do you stay safe? Use long, unusual passwords with a mix of symbols. Avoid names, birthdays, or anything too obvious. Better yet, use a password manager to store all your passwords securely — and always turn on two-factor authentication.
Your password might be your first line of defence… but only if it’s strong enough.