--- title: "CEOs Exposed for Using Shockingly Stupid Passwords" description: "According to new research, countless high-level executives and CEOs are using terrible passwords, inlcuding \"123456\" and \"password.\"" date: "2022-05-19" modified: "2022-05-19" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/ceos-exposed-for-using-shockingly-stupid-passwords" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "cybersecurity" - "password protection" - "passwords" - "the digest" --- # CEOs Exposed for Using Shockingly Stupid Passwords ![According to new research, countless high-level executives and CEOs are using terrible passwords, inlcuding "123456" and "password."]() *\Image: Futurism\* ## Password123 According to [new research]() from password manager NordPass, countless high-level executives and CEOs are using mind-meltingly terrible passwords, including — we are not joking — "123456" and "password." In other words, it's not just us average Joes being dangerously lax about cybersecurity — even high-ranking managers and business owners make shockingly bad decisions that could easily lead to major data breaches. It's an alarmingly widespread issue. In a [2021 report](), US telecom company Verizon found that 80 percent of data breaches were caused by weak passwords. ## Tiffany123 NordPass lists some of the most commonly used passwords by CEOs on [its website](), which it "compiled in partnership with independent researchers specializing in research of cybersecurity incidents." Other hilarious entries in the list of CEO passwords include "welcome," "000000," "test," and "qwerty." Some of the industries that are most affected by these careless mistakes include the technology, and even the finance sector — none of which is exactly confidence inducing in our extremely digital economy. CEOs are also resorting to using popular names for their passwords, many of them presumably references to partners or loved ones, with the name "Tiffany" showing up in over 100,000 data breaches out of the sample of 290 million breaches NordPass analyzed for its research. For any CEOs reading this, the takeaway is simple: basic awareness and stronger passwords. Get a [password manager](), use it, and turn on two-factor authentication as well. **READ MORE:** [The passwords most used by CEOs are startlingly dumb]() \[*PC Gamer*\] **More on passwords:** *[Bad News For Your Ex-Roommate: Netflix to Start Charging for Password Sharing]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()