DOGS bring unwavering companionship and joy to countless households worldwide. With International Dog Day just passed (August 26), it’s a timely reminder to celebrate the special bond between humans and their canine companions. However, it’s also an opportunity to address a potentially risky digital practice: using pet names in passwords.
While it may seem endearing and easy to remember, using your pet’s name as a password can pose significant security risks. In an era where personal information, banking and financial data are increasingly managed online, it is crucial to protect our digital identities from cyberthreats. Passwords serve as the first line of defense, so having robust, secure passwords is essential.
Personal info as passwords
Many pet owners choose their pet’s name for passwords because it meets platform requirements and is easy to remember due to their emotional significance, but this also highlights a concerning trend in digital security.
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Many pet owners choose their pet’s name for passwords because it meets platform requirements and is easy to remember due to their emotional significance. Research shows that 39 percent of pet owners use their pet’s name as part of their online passwords, with this number rising to 50 percent among pet owners ages 35 to 44.
Using pet names, birthdays and other personal information as passwords can feel familiar and comforting, but it highlights a concerning trend in digital security. These passwords are often based on easily guessable information, which makes them vulnerable to hacking attempts. For instance, pets are frequently featured in many social media posts. A survey in the United Kingdom revealed that 25 percent of pet owners have a dedicated social media account for their pets, and owners generally post about their pets every two days. Cybercriminals can exploit these posts to guess your passwords. Similarly, birthdays and other personal details are readily available online, making them easy targets for password guessing.
Weak passwords can jeopardize your sensitive information and, if reused across multiple sites, can lead to severe consequences, such as identity theft, financial loss and data breaches.
Use strong, unique passwords
Good password hygiene is essential to safeguarding against cyberattacks, malware infections and password breaches. A strong password should be at least 16 characters long and include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. To enhance security, avoid using common dictionary words, personal information like pet names or birthdays, as well as sequential numbers.
For example, a password like “ILoveFluffy*1” may meet platform requirements, but it’s still weak due to its predictability and connection to personal information easily found online. If crafting strong, unique passwords seems challenging, consider using a password or passphrase generator. These tools create random passwords based on specified criteria, or they can generate passphrases — longer passwords composed of random words separated by symbols and numbers — offering more secure login credentials.
Password managers, like Keeper Security, often include built-in password and passphrase generators to help you create and store strong passwords. A password manager securely stores passwords in an encrypted digital vault and alerts you to weak or reused passwords, allowing you to replace them with stronger options generated by the tool.
Ways to secure accounts
In addition to using strong passwords, never reuse the same password across multiple platforms. For instance, if you use “Password1234!” for all your online accounts, a cybercriminal who discovers this password could gain access to your banking information, shopping accounts, social media profiles and more. This practice, known as credential stuffing, exploits password reuse and puts your entire digital landscape at risk.
Beyond strong passwords, consider enabling passkeys when available. Passkeys are cryptographic keys that allow you to log in to accounts without relying on traditional passwords. They typically work in conjunction with biometric information, like fingerprints, face ID or device-specific authentication methods. Since passkeys are unique to your device and cannot be phished, they provide a higher level of security compared to traditional passwords. This makes it extremely difficult for cybercriminals to gain unauthorized access to your accounts.
If multi-factor authentication (MFA) is available, take advantage of this added security feature. MFA requires at least one additional form of authentication, such as a code from an authenticator app or biometric data challenge, before logging in. This extra layer of security means that even if a cybercriminal obtains your login credentials, they would still need additional authentication to access your accounts.
Protect your accounts
Using pet names or other easily guessable information as passwords leaves your accounts vulnerable to cybercriminals who exploit common patterns. In today’s evolving digital landscape, secure password management is crucial.
While we love our pets, cybercriminals would love them even more if their names were used as passwords. By adopting strong, unique passwords and utilizing password management tools, you can significantly enhance your online security and enjoy safety with your best friend.
Darren Guccione is the chief executive and co-founder of Keeper Security, a top-rated password and secrets manager for protecting businesses and consumers from cyberthreats.
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