It’s never a good idea to use simple words as passwords on the Internet, but for some reason people continue to do so, as a recent study by SplashData reveals.
The company specializing in password management has compiled a top 25 of last year’s most common (and therefore weakest) Internet passwords, and there were quite a few surprises. For instance, Ford Mustang is the only car to appear in the study, with the word “mustang” ranking as the 16th most common password on the Internet.
This speaks volumes about the Mustang’s place in popular culture, especially since the pony car beat both “superman” and “batman,” which ranked 21st and 24th. While Ford appreciates the public’s passion for the Mustang, the automaker is offering advice to make Mustang passwords safer.
Ford says pony car-inspired passwords can be strengthened by adding letters, numbers, acronyms and symbols. “We’re flattered people want to use ‘mustang’ as their password, but alone, it just isn’t strong enough to be secure,” said Keith Moss, Ford Director of Cyber Security. “We encourage people to use ‘mustang,’ but we recommend they strengthen their password by mixing upper and lower case letters, numbers, acronyms and symbols to make it unique,” the official added.
Ford also offers fans a few suggestions for strengthening “mustang” passwords, such as adding numbers to the password (favorite Mustang model year, year you bought your Mustang or year you sold the car), incorporating Mustang option codes, paint codes, engine codes or digits from your VIN, creating acronyms for modifications made to your Mustang (FRSC, for Ford Racing SuperCharger, for example) or including your favorite driving road or road trip destination.
And if you didn’t know that by now, Ford strongly advises against using the same password on all websites, which is where a password manager comes in handy for keeping multiple Mustang-related passwords organized and easy-to-access.
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