The password is sh! t, hackers love it. CNET surveys show that 49% of US adults have dangerous password habits

I feel like I have all the passwords: my bank account, my Amazon Echo Show And even me Netflix app. There are so many different devices and accounts, unique, Strong password – And remember them – overwhelming. It’s appealing to be lazy and use the same password for multiple accounts. It’s a friendly move, and one con artist relies on.

The risk of using your old password or including a new password in your new password is a major risk to your data and ID. Repeat the password and you can open the floodgates to ensure that hackers have more access than you alone Netflix account.

However, a recent CNET survey shows that almost half (49%) of US adults have dangerous password habits, while 24% allow them to use passwords shared with another account. That’s annoying Attila TomaschekCNET Software Senior Writer and Digital Security Expert.

“Reusing the same password across multiple accounts will risk users breaching their online accounts through a qualification stuffing attack,” Tomaschek said.

There is no specific password formula to guarantee that your information is protected. However, there are steps you can take Protect your password The best possible data. Here are the findings from CNET and what experts recommend when creating or upgrading passwords:

Which password habits put us at risk?

CNET research shows that dangerous password habits are most commonly acquired by our adults, reusing passwords on different accounts or using personal data as part of passwords. 24% said they used the same password for different accounts, but 8% admitted to using the password they know Breaked in a data breach.

“If a malicious actor gains access to a user’s login credentials on one account, they can use the same credentials to access other online accounts that share the same credentials,” Tomaschek said.

read more: 184 million passwords have been leaked to Google, Facebook, Instagram, and more. How to Secure Accounts

Additionally, adults in the US use personal information as part of their passwords, such as birthdays or anniversary (15%), pet names (14%), part of user names (11%) or family names (11%). Less common password practices include the use of a password that includes a previous or current street address (6%), a child’s name (6%), a “1234” (5%), a “password” (3%), or a university or sports team name (3%).

Using your personal data with a password will help you remember to log in, but it will make it easier for hackers to access your account.

“This is especially dangerous given the wealth of information that many people share online through social media and other outlets,” Tomashek said. Creating a unique password for each account minimizes that risk.

How to Make a Strong Password Without Remembering

Not all US adults have lazy password habits. CNET has found that a quarter (25%) of US adults use randomly generated passwords when creating one from, for example, online services or internet browsers. This welcomes the news to Thomascheck, who said this is one of the safest options. Randomly generated passwords are much more difficult to guess than user-created passwords, Tomaschek said.

“A great password generator provides the option for users to customize the length of the password and whether numbers and symbols are built in,” he said. “The longer and more complicated the generated password, the better.”

However, since it may be impossible to remember randomly generated passwords, Tomaschek Password Manager Store each unique password. I recommend CNET Bitwarden That’s my top recommendation.

read more: Do you have a password manager? Learn how to secure and log your online accounts in simple terms

US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency It is recommended that each password be at least 16 characters. It also uses random combinations of numbers, letters, special characters, or words. If your password is compromised, change it immediately and be aware of other accounts to make sure it is not affected.