Are Your Business Passwords Still Too Easy to Guess?

Your Business’s Passwords Are Still Too Weak

Be honest. Is at least one of your passwords still something like “12345” or “password123”?

If so, you’re not alone.

But that doesn’t mean it’s okay.

Despite years of advice from IT professionals, weak passwords are still everywhere. And they continue to be one of the easiest ways for cyber criminals to break into your business systems.

You’d be surprised how many companies still use passwords that can be cracked in less than a second.

The Most Common Passwords Are Still the Worst

Recent research found that the most common business password is still “123456”.

Not far behind?

“123456789”
“password”
“qwerty123”

These aren’t just poor choices. They’re wide-open doors for attackers.

And it’s not just big companies making this mistake. Small and medium-sized businesses are just as guilty. Unfortunately, they’re often hit harder when things go wrong because they don’t always have the resources to recover.

A single stolen password can give attackers access to:

Your email
Internal files and documents
Financial systems
Client or customer data

The consequences? Costly downtime, reputational damage, and serious financial loss.

“We’re too small to be a target” Isn’t True

Think you don’t have anything worth stealing? Think again.

Even if your team is small, your digital assets — accounts, communications, client records — are all valuable. Cyber criminals are opportunists. They’re not always targeting a specific business. They’re scanning for easy wins.

And weak passwords are the easiest win there is.

It’s Not Just About Obvious Passwords

Even if you’ve moved past “123456”, your passwords may still be risky.

Research found many people are using:

Their name
Their email address
Sentimental phrases like “iloveyou” or “sunshine”

It might seem harmless, but cyber criminals can easily guess or brute-force these based on leaked personal information.

Here’s What You Can Do

Start with these essentials:

1. Use strong, randomly generated passwords: Longer is better. Go for a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Avoid anything predictable.

2. Use a password manager: No one can remember 30 complex passwords. A password manager creates and stores strong, unique passwords for every account.

3. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA): Even if someone steals your password, MFA adds a second step to verify it’s really you. A simple code from your phone or app could stop an attack in its tracks.

4. Consider moving to passkeys: Passkeys are password alternatives that use biometrics or secure device-based authentication. They’re safer, faster, and quickly becoming the new standard.

Don’t Wait for a Breach to Take This Seriously

Strong passwords — or even better, password alternatives — are your first line of defence. If anyone on your team is still using “abc123”, now’s the time to act.

Need Help Building a Safer Login Strategy?

We can help you review your password policy, choose the right tools, and roll out stronger login protections across your business.

Let’s make sure your accounts are protected before they become a target.