UK bans common, easy-to-guess passwords

As part of the world’s first legislation to protect against cyber-attacks, the United Kingdom decided to ban common passwords that are considered easy to guess.

According to research by Which?, cited by Sky News, a home full of smart devices can be exposed to more than 12,000 hacking attacks from around the world in a single week, with 2,684 attempts to guess weak passwords in five devices.

In fact, according to recent data, 99% of British adults own at least one smart device, and British households have, on average, nine connected devices. More than that, 57% of households have a smart television, 53% have a voice assistant and 49% have a smart watch or a fitness bracelet.

In turn, the password management website, NordPass, revealed that the most used passwords in the United Kingdom last year were “123456” and “password”.

UK wants accounts protected with strong passwords

Considering the increase in cyber attacks and the ease with which they are carried out, the United Kingdom has decided to ban common, easy-to-guess passwords such as “admin” or “12345” as part of the world's first legislation to protect against cyber attacks. , according to Sky News.

Based on new legislation, which comes into force today, if a user suggests a common password, they will be asked to change it, strengthening the protection of their accounts.

The legislation forms part of the Security of Telecommunications Products and Infrastructure (PSTI) regime, designed to improve the UK's resilience to cyberattacks and ensure that malign interference does not affect the UK and global economy.

Under the law, manufacturers of all devices connected to the Internet – from cell phones, smart doorbells and even high-tech refrigerators – will be required to apply minimum security standards. In addition, they will have to publish contact details so that failures and problems can be reported and resolved, as well as inform consumers of the minimum period to receive important security updates.

As everyday life becomes increasingly dependent on connected devices, threats generated by the Internet multiply and become even greater.

From today, consumers will have peace of mind knowing their smart devices are protected from cybercriminals… We are committed to making the UK the safest place in the world to be online and these new regulations represent a significant leap forward for a world safer digital.

Said the UK Minister for Science and Technology, Viscount Camrose.

In addition to the obvious protection against cyberattacks, the new measures seek to increase consumer confidence in the security of the products they use and buy.