No matter how in touch with the ‘real world’ we like to think we are, many of us are probably more slaves to our smartphones than we care to admit.
We carry all kinds on them. From our photos to our private messages and from our passwords to shopping lists to our phone notes.
And yet we may not protect them as well as we thought.
Practically a safe lock, our smartphone’s PIN numbers take care of most of our stuff. Yes, sure, most of us use the likes of Face ID on our iPhones and Face Unlock on Android these days, but a passcode is still secure.
However, researchers have warned about the most commonly used and unsafe combinations. And surprisingly, like bank PIN numbers, they don’t include the ‘rough’ combination of ‘6969’.
It is important to have a secure code. (Getty shares)
While you might think that having a longer six-digit PIN will be more secure.
But a study by Ruhr University, the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy in Bochum, Germany and George Washington University in the US found that they offer “slightly more” security than four digits.
On the assumption that the attacker did not know the victim personally, the researchers assigned Android and Apple users PIN codes with some choosing them freely and others having to choose those not included in a ‘blacklist’.
The team then went through and hacked the passcodes, discovering that six-digit PINs were actually ‘less secure’.
This is because if users have more numbers to play with, they seem to be more likely to make unsafe combinations.
“It seems that users currently do not intuitively understand what makes a six-digit PIN secure,” explained researcher Markus Dürmuth.
The study also found that while four- and six-digit PINs are not as secure as a proper password, they are better than using a pattern lock.
And the researchers compiled a handy list of the ‘most dangerous’ combinations.
Experts warn against some codes. (Getty shares)
Here are four-digit PINs to avoid:
· 1234
· 0000
· 2580
· 1111
· 5555
· 5683
· 0852
· 2222
· 1212
· 1998
And six-digit PIN codes:
· 123456
· 654321
· 111111
· 000000
· 123123
· 666666
· 121212
· 112233
· 789456
· 159753
Yeah, some of them seem pretty obvious, don’t they?
So you might think that using something like your date of birth is a more unique way to protect your phone. But this can be dangerous considering that people can detect it and use it to hack your device.
It’s highly recommended that you use a password instead, made up of numbers and letters – but just don’t make it too obvious.
Featured image credit: Image stock Getty/Apple
Topics: Technology, Phones
#Smartphone #users #warned #insecure #PIN #numbers #list
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