Over 19 billion
passwords
were disclosed in just the past year, which experts refer to as an
cybersecurity
“crisis.”
However, there are methods to safeguard yourself.
A new study by
Cybernews
examined more than 200
data
breaches occurring from April 2024 through 2025 revealed that out of the 19,030,305,929 newly disclosed passwords, 94 percent had been reused or duplicated – sometimes across completely different user accounts.
“We’re facing a widespread epidemic of weak password reuse,” noted Neringa Macijauskaite, information security researcher at
Cybernews
Just six percent of passwords are one-of-a-kind, which leaves many users exposed to dictionary attacks. Security for the majority relies heavily on the thin thread of two-factor authentication—assuming it’s even activated.
Experts called for an
acceleration of tighter security methods,
emphasizing that cybercriminals need just one exposed password to gain access to email addresses and various personal information.
The leaks examined by researchers were “loaded with information that could be used to steal accounts or impersonate affected people in identity theft attacks,” the study noted.
The research revealed that many individuals continue to prefer simple passwords that are easy to recall but also easily guessed by cyber attackers. "Password" is utilized by 56 million people, with another 53 million using "admin."
Researchers discovered that "1234" appears in nearly 4 percent of all passwords, making it quite simple to guess.
hackers
to guess.
The second most common selection for passwords was people's names.
" numerous individuals opt to include a name within their passwords. Our analysis compared the database against the top 100 prevalent names from 2025 and revealed an impressive 8 percent likelihood of these being incorporated into a password," explained Macijauskaite.
Other individuals chose affirmative terms like "love," appearing in 87 million examined passwords, and "sun," utilized in 34 million. The study also uncovered that profanity frequently appears in password choices.
Password combinations using foul or insensitive language may appear infrequent, yet they are surprisingly frequent in reality," stated Macijauskake. "These passwords with vulgar elements typically stem from efforts to make them more personalized or easier to remember. Nonetheless, these expressions frequently show up in hacker dictionaries and present a significant threat to safeguarding accounts.
Ways to handle your online passwords, as recommended by
Cybernews experts:
Utilize password managers to generate and keep distinct passwords for various services.
Never reuse passwords.
Ensure your password has a minimum of 12 characters and incorporates both upper and lower case letters, digits, as well as at least one special character.
Enable multi-factor authentication when possible, which reduces the risk even if passwords are leaked or hacked.
Review access controls regularly, and perform regular security audits. Monitor and react to credential leaks.
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