Jimmy Kimmel Exposes Bad Password Security
- By Matt Holden
- Jan 20, 2015
Late Night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel sent a reporter out on the street to get private passwords from strangers, and the stunt worked, thanks in large part to the simplistic passwords most people use based on everyday common trends.
Two people in the segment used their pet name plus a memorable date, such as the day they graduated high school. These are typically some of the worst passwords because of how easy it is to guess. They essentially offer no security at all.
Some sites don’t know your password, and these are considered secure sites. If a site is able to email your password to you then it isn’t secure. Sites that offer strong security use a hash to encode the password, and thus remembering the hash instead.
Some recommend using a password manager that uses a password to protect all other data. Provided you can make a strong password for this application, this will prevent hackers from accessing vital data.
About the Author
Matt Holden is an Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media, Inc. He received his MFA and BA in journalism from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He currently writes and edits for Occupational Health & Safety magazine, and Security Today.