A wake-up call: Gen Z’s password habits are worse than their parents’

They grew up with smartphones in their hands and can navigate TikTok blindfolded, but when it comes to protecting their digital lives, the youngest adults in Canada, Gen Z, are no better than their grandparents, a new study reveals.

Recent research by NordPass has found that the most common password  among those born in 1997 or later is “12345,” which is weaker than almost every other generation’s preferred password, except the silent generation (born before 1946), whose most popular password was also “12345.” Millennials, Generation X, and baby boomers had a slightly stronger most common password, but by only one character — “123456.” 

This finding contradicts the belief that zoomers, being digital natives, have some sort of innate understanding of the web and its dangers.

Names and numbers

The study found that number combinations, such as “12345” and “123456” are in the top spots across all age groups. The biggest difference is that older generations are more likely to use names in their passwords. The use of names in passwords becomes more prevalent starting with Generation X and peaks among baby boomers. Among Generation X, the most popular name used as a password is “Veronica.” For baby boomers, it’s “Maria” and for the silent generation, it’s “Susana.”

Generations Z and Y are less likely to use names in their passwords, preferring combinations like “1234567890” and “skibidi” instead.

“The cybersecurity habits of the youngest adults are poor, if not worse than those of the older generations. It is clear that for digital natives — those who grew up immersed in the online world — extensive exposure to technology doesn’t automatically translate into a strong understanding of fundamental password security practices or the severe risks associated with poor choices. We really should start paying more attention to teaching cybersecurity basics and digital hygiene to our youth,” says Karolis Arbaciauskas, head of business product at NordPass. 

The list with passwords of all age groups is available here.

Password safety tips

According to Arbaciauskas, a few basic rules can greatly improve digital hygiene and help people to avoid falling victim to cyberattacks due to ineffective password management:

• Create strong random passwords or passphrases. Passwords should be at least 20 characters long and consist of a random combination of numbers, letters, and special characters. 
• Never reuse passwords. The rule of thumb is that each account should have a unique password because if one account gets broken into, hackers can use the same credentials for other accounts.
• Review your passwords. Make sure to regularly check the health of your passwords. Identify any weak, old, or reused ones and upgrade them to new, complex passwords for a safer online experience.
• Use a password manager. It can help you generate, store, review, and safely manage all your passwords, ensuring they’re well protected, difficult to crack, and easily available when you need them.
• Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA). It adds an extra layer of security. MFA helps keep hackers out even if a password gets breached.

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