Bad passwords are a global problem, with many opting for something easy to remember (or just easy to type) rather than something secure. "123456" remains a popular password choice worldwide, along with variations of "password" and "qwerty" – dependent on each country's standard keyboard layout – and around 40% of people in the U.S. even admit to using their first or last name in their passwords. Obviously, these passwords would take no time at all for bad actors to crack, so how can you craft one that is as secure as possible? These tips from Webroot and ExpressVPN can help you create strong passwords and keep your information secure: |

• Long passwords (12 characters or more) are more secure than short ones. One way to accomplish this is to choose a phrase, rather than a single word.
• Avoid using any personal information in your passwords (first, middle or last name, date of birth, children's names, etc.). This could make your password easy to guess for those who know you, or who can find this often readily available information online.
• You should use a different password for each of your online accounts. This way, if your password for one account is compromised, your other accounts are still secure. Encrypted password managers can be used to easily keep track of passwords across platforms.
• Utilize a combination of letters (both upper and lower case), numbers and symbols to create each password. Avoid making obvious number-to-letter substitutions in words, like using "1" in place of "I" or "3" in place of "E."

Cultural influences also play a large part in password trends. Names of popular bands and sports teams are often easy choices for passwords, but can be easy to guess for anyone from your same general region. In the slideshow above, we look at how culture can impact a country's most common passwords by exploring some of the most frequently used ones across the globe, according to ExpressVPN.

Related:

• Cyberthreats 2022: What we know so far
• Cleaning up your company's cyber hygiene
• 3 keys to designing secure cyber behavior