As we begin 2024, I'd like to suggest a New Year's resolution for anyone who's struggling to think of one: please learn how to create better passwords. The internet has become a huge part of our daily lives since its introduction; we use it to manage our finances, do our jobs, and relax after a hard day's work. Despite this, some people are still using very weak passwords online. This is surprising to me, as there are plenty of tools you can use to keep your accounts safe from hackers. Yet, people still turn to the "old faithful" passwords that have been a cybersecurity nightmare since the early 2000s. Here are the reasons why I think there's zero excuse to have a weak password in 2024.

Weak passwords are trivial for hackers to crack

Hackers can breach weak passwords in mere seconds

The inspiration for this article was a report assembled by NordPass. It compiled a list of exposed passwords from data leaks and ranked them in terms of how often they were used. It's not a perfect way to sample what passwords people are using, but it does give us some useful insights.

If you've been on the internet for a while now, the list will look surprisingly familiar. As it turns out, our password hygiene hasn't improved much in the last decade or two. The password spotted most often was "123456" — reported a staggering 4.5 million times. "Admin" was a close second. It's unknown whether people were setting their online account passwords as this, or if the leaked passwords included devices that had "admin" as their default, and nobody was changing them.

Either way, all the most-used passwords can be cracked in under one second, as claimed by NordPass. While they're very easy to remember, this lazy practice is the cybersecurity equivalent of using a wedge to lock your front door: it'll keep it closed in theory, but the moment someone tries to get in, that security falls apart.

There are plenty of ways to check your password strength

Making a secure password has never been easier

Of course, it's unrealistic to expect everyone to be a master at creating strong and memorable passwords. Some people may set weak passwords not because they're lazy, but because they don't know how exactly how to create a strong password. Fortunately, the internet has plenty of tools where people can check their passwords and see if they're strong enough to withstand a hacker.

There are lots of online tools you can use, but I recommend using one developed by a security company to make sure you get the best advice. You can use the Bitwarden password checker, the Kaspersky checker, the NordPass checker, the Security.org checker, or the LastPass checker. The Kaspersky checker also lets you know if the password you've entered has been found in any leaked databases. If you're ever curious as to how strong your password is, enter it into these checkers and see how you can improve upon it.

Password managers can help with memory issues

Create and recall powerful passwords with a few clicks

Unfortunately, creating a powerful password is just the start. Ideally, you should use a different password for every website or service you sign up for. That way, if someone gets hold of your password, they can't reuse it on every website you signed up for and gain instant access. There are ways to implement this while still having a memorable password; for example, you can add a special identifier to your password that's unique to the website, like adding "FF" to the end of it if it's your Firefox account.

However, there's an even easier way: password managers. These apps automatically save your username and password to their database. When it's time to log in, you ask the password manager to fill in all your details. Modern-day browsers typically come with password managers pre-installed, but if you don't trust handing your login information to a big company, you can take matters into your own hands and download a password manager. Keep an eye out for ones that are open-source, which means the program's code is publicly available. Open-source apps are a lot more trustworthy, as they have nothing to hide from you.

Password managers often come with their own password generators. These give you a strong password with a click of a button, and because you won't need to remember the password, you can use this for your login information without worrying about forgetting it later. The only password you need is the one to unlock the password manager, and even then, you can attach two-factor authentication processes like fingerprints, phone texts, and face scans through your PC's webcam in case someone manages to crack your master password. For more information, check out the things people should know before using a password manager.

Don't pass up password security

Over time, the capabilities of both cybersecurity companies and hackers evolve in a never-ending duel. However, some people still have password habits that date from the turn of the millennium. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools available for you to check your password security and save your good passwords for later use. There's just no excuse for using bad passwords in 2024.