Pop quiz Which generation has the worst password habits

Kim recently sat down with a former hacker, who described the wild shenanigans that arise after breaking into people’s accounts. From snatching your savings to taking your phone, a savvy attacker can do a ton of damage. And the hackers aren’t going away anytime soon: There are plenty of little kids out there with an impressive arsenal of security-crushing skills.

In fact, the former hacker once went to a cyber security conference and saw a preteen in a shirt that said, “I’m here because your password is 123456.” Such weak codes make it incredibly easy for cybercriminals to invade your digital life. If you need tips for making passwords easy to remember and hard to track, we’ve got your help. Tap or click here for the five rules for unbreakable passwords.

Data breaches can expose the most intimate details of your life, from medical records to private email conversations. But did you know that some age groups are more at risk than others? That’s because one demographic tends to have terrible password habits, which puts people at a ton of risk.

As Kim Always Says, Never Reuse Your Passwords
Researchers with Beyond Identity surveyed more than 1,000 Americans to understand how different people deal with passwords, from construction to storage methods. They found that nearly three out of four people had broken their password at least once. (This number is only for those who know they have been breached. Who knows how many people may be browsing the web with the compromised code?)

Interestingly, 24% of Gen Xers say they are highly likely to reuse the same password. This is more than any other surveyed demographic. See more on the chart below:

Of course, you often have to update your password. This is due to automatic attacks. Clever cybercriminals can set up bots to launch coordinated attacks on your accounts. These bots can come up with many possible character combinations to try and generate accurate passwords.

That’s why experts recommend changing your password from time to time. Researchers found that one in five people update their password less than once a year.

Compare this with popular advice from security experts who recommend updating your passwords several times a year. The frequency depends on the type of account you are trying to protect. Tap or click here for Kim’s tips for charting a password change schedule.

How do people defend professional passwords compared to personal passwords?
Here is another surprising discovery. Gen Xers were the most likely of all groups to find that their professional passwords were less secure than their personal accounts. In other words, his code of work was weaker than his social media handles.