PRESS RELEASE: OnePoll (Passwords)
Written: Friday 27th February, 2009
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Millions of Brits are leaving their personal details open to theft or cloning by using obvious computer passwords - such as 'password'.
A study found one in twenty people use 'password' because they can't be bothered to come up with a more unusual and more secure log-in.
Other popular - and safer - choices include pets' names, children's names or phrases. Football teams or television shows also featured highly.
One in ten use the names of their favourite celebrities to access their computers while a similar amount use the name of their partner.
Only 53 per cent of the 3,000 people polled said they used the same password for everything.
A spokesman for www.onepoll.com, which carried out the research, said: ''Using the word 'password' is rank stupidity and leaves you open to identity theft or fraud.
''We were astonished at the number of people who can't be bothered to think of something more secure.
''It only takes a few seconds to reset a password so anyone who doesn't have a secure one should change theirs as soon as possible.''
The study also found six out of ten people who don't use the same password for everything have forgotten their password in the last six months.
And only six per cent said they c hanged their password every once in a while to keep their personal details safe.
One in three used the best and most secure form of password - a combination of random letters and numbers.
Around 49 per cent of those polled admitted their password lacked imagination or distinctiveness and 38 per cent had told someone else their password.
Top ten celebrity passwords
1. Britney Spears
2. Madonna
3. David Beckham
4. Brad Pitt
5. Jude Law
6. Coldplay
7. Elvis Presley
8. Chris Moyles
9. Mick Jagger
10. Russell Brand
ENDS
Research conducted by global market research company www.onepoll.com
