Datamation Logo

Passwords are the Weakest Link in Enterprise IT Security: Study

March 14, 2012
Datamation content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More .

ZDNet: According to the Trustwave 2012 Global Security Report, enterprise IT still hasn’t gotten the message about the importance of strong passwords. After examining 300 data breaches that occurred in 2011, the study’s authors concluded that 80 percent of the incidents resulted from the use of weak passwords. In many cases, IT administrators or users did not bother to change default passwords. “The use of weak and/or default credentials continues to be one of the primary weaknesses exploited by attackers for internal propagation,” they wrote. “This is true for both large and small organizations, and largely due to poor administration.”

According to the study, the top 10 most common passwords connected to the data breaches included the following:

  1. Password1
  2. welcome
  3. password
  4. Welcome1
  5. welcome1
  6. Password2
  7. 123456
  8. Password01
  9. Password3
  10. P@ssw0rd
  SEE ALL
ARTICLES
 

Subscribe to Data Insider

Learn the latest news and best practices about data science, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, data security, and more.

Datamation Logo

Datamation is the leading industry resource for B2B data professionals and technology buyers. Datamation's focus is on providing insight into the latest trends and innovation in AI, data security, big data, and more, along with in-depth product recommendations and comparisons. More than 1.7M users gain insight and guidance from Datamation every year.

Advertisers

Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on Datamation and our other data and technology-focused platforms.

Advertise with Us

Our Brands


Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions About Contact Advertise California - Do Not Sell My Information

Property of TechnologyAdvice.
© 2025 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.