If you are one of the millions of users who use stupid passwords, that is, so easy to guess that they are laughable, on your devices, you may have to think about move from europe. That or start paying attention to us and using strong passwords that are difficult for cybercriminals to guess.
Specifically, it has been the United Kingdom the first country that has taken an important step in the fight against cyber attacks by becoming the first, not only at the European level, but globally, in ban weak and easy-to-guess passwords such as ‘123456’, ‘admin1234’ or simply ‘password’. This measure, which is part of the new Telecommunications Infrastructure and Product Security regime, aims to protect mobile device users from increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks that threaten our private data.
The decision of the former member country of the European Union arises from the alarming reality that the Weak passwords are still too common, much more than you can think. In fact, recent studies carried out in Great Britain reveal that passwords such as ‘123456’ and ‘password’ are among the most used in the UK, making them an easy target for cybercriminals.
Encouraging the use of strong passwords
The law focuses particularly on the security of devices connected to the Internet, such as smartphones, that is, not just our smartphones and all the platform accounts and services that we store on them, but other products such as doorbells and even smart refrigerators, which have become common items in UK homes. These devices, if not adequately protected, can be vulnerable to attacks that put users’ personal information and security at risk.
But this new intention of ban simple passwords, not only affect consumers, but also impose new responsibilities on smart device manufacturers. From now on, they will be required to implement minimum security standards, provide contact information for troubleshooting, and inform consumers about when they will receive important security updates.
As you can imagine, this is a laudable measure that It has all the earmarks of leaving the United Kingdom. The decision has already been received with applause by Internet security experts from around the world, who see it as a model to follow for other countries, so it would not be strange to see how other countries, European and non-European, implement measures. similar in the near future to protect users from the growing digital threats that they may fall victim to due to a poor password choice.
Remember that, as some services indicate, the stronger passwords They usually have more than 8 characterss, including numbers, symbols and letters, alternate uppercase and lowercase and, of course, must be unique and exclusive for each platform you use, no sharing the same password for different services since, if you guess one, you put your data from many apps at risk.