Security & ScamsPassword Security

Everyone's Password Is 123456

The most common passwords fall in under a second

Millions of people guard their email, bank and photos with the same six digits. Could a stranger guess yours on the first try?

You'll find out

  • Which passwords attackers try first
  • Why P@ssw0rd fools nobody
  • How a few random words beat them all

Why it matters

One guessed password can hand over your mail, your money and every account that shares it.

About 3 min6 interactive slides · 5 questionsLesson 87 · Zone 10

Play this lesson

Free to play in your browser or on iPhone

More in this zone

  1. 82Neural NetworksA Neuron Is a Weighted VoteThe building block of AI is a very simple decision
  2. 83Visual NeuroscienceThe Afterimage FlagStare at the wrong colors and the right ones appear
  3. 84TimekeepingThe Country That Skipped a DaySamoa jumped straight from 29 to 31 December 2011
  4. 85Numbers0.999… = 1The endless nines are exactly one, not ‘almost one’
  5. 86Internet SpeedMegabits, Not MegabytesWhy your ‘100’ connection downloads at about 12
  6. 88ElectromagnetismMeasure Light Speed With ChocolateYour microwave can measure the speed of light
  7. 89Structural DesignThe ArchLoose stones stand for 2,000 years by pushing on each other
  8. 90MultitaskingYour Computer Doesn't MultitaskIt switches between jobs so fast it fools you