Online users need to do better when it comes to creating strong passwords for online accounts, according to a recent Google security survey.

The survey found that more than half of respondents use the same password for multiple accounts. In fact, 52% of survey respondents reuse the same password for multiple accounts and 13% reuse the same password for all their accounts.

Unfortunately, the survey shows online users have adopted some poor habits that put their personally identifiable information at risk. Along with reusing the same passwords for multiple accounts, poor habits also include writing down passwords on a piece of paper or using common passwords.

The Google survey reports almost a quarter of respondents use a variation of easy-to-hack passwords such as:  

• abc123
• Password
• 123456
• Iloveyou
• 111111
• Admin
• Welcome 

Password Best Practices

In order to better secure your account information, incorporating good habits when choosing passwords is a necessity. Three tips for more secure password use include:

Don’t Reuse Passwords

As the Google survey found, online users reuse passwords because it makes their lives simpler. However, reusing passwords also makes it simpler for cyber criminals to hack users’ accounts.  A criminal only needs to know one password in order to access multiple accounts from Facebook to online banking.

Using Strong Passwords

The more obvious your password the easier it is to hack. Avoid using common passwords such as the ones listed above. Also, it’s best not to use easy-to-find personal information such as your pet’s name, your birthday or an anniversary date. The more numerals, symbols and random the password the better.

Use A Password Manager

A password manager creates and stores randomized passwords for you. The password manager generates unique strong passwords for each account. And, you only need a single master password to log into the manger, which then auto fills passwords into the sites and apps you frequently use.