Weak credentials remain the easiest way for attackers to gain access. They don't need sophisticated hacking techniques—they simply log in with stolen or guessed passwords. In 2025 alone, 3.8 billion credentials were exposed in just the first half of the year.
Billions of credentials are exposed each year. The trend shows a consistent rise in data breaches globally.
| Year | Credentials Leaked |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 2.2 billion |
| 2020 | 2.8 billion |
| 2021 | 3.1 billion |
| 2022 | 3.4 billion |
| 2023 | 3.5 billion |
| 2024 | 3.6 billion |
| 2025 H1 | 3.8 billion |
Discover eye-opening facts about password security that might make you reconsider your own password habits.
An 8-character lowercase password can be cracked in less than 1 second using modern GPU hardware. Adding just one uppercase letter increases this time significantly.
65% of people reuse the same password across multiple accounts. This means a single breach can compromise dozens of their accounts across different services.
The average person manages over 250 different passwords. This cognitive overload leads to 76% of users reporting password management as stressful.
The average cost of a data breach in 2025 is $4.5 million. Organizations with poor password hygiene face 3x higher breach costs than those with strong policies.
Compromised credentials are the #1 initial attack vector in data breaches, accounting for over 80% of all security incidents reported globally.
Multi-factor authentication blocks 96% of phishing attempts and 99% of automated attacks. Yet, only 26% of organizations have fully implemented MFA.
Despite decades of security warnings, "123456" remains the most commonly used password in 2025, used by over 4.5 million people worldwide.
Stolen credentials are sold on the dark web for as little as $1 each. Premium accounts (banking, corporate) can fetch up to $500.
AI can now predict password patterns based on personal information, making "smart" passwords like pet names + birthdays vulnerable to targeted attacks.
Key moments in the history of password security
First computer password created at MIT for CTSS
Unix introduces password hashing with DES
Morris Worm exploits weak passwords, infects 6000 computers
Bill Gates predicts the death of passwords (still waiting)
RockYou breach exposes 32M plaintext passwords
LinkedIn breach exposes 117M passwords
Adobe breach exposes 153M encrypted passwords
Yahoo discloses breach of 3 billion accounts
"Collection #1" exposes 773M emails and passwords
RockYou2021 compilation: 8.4 billion passwords leaked
Passkeys gain mainstream adoption as password alternative
3.8B credentials leaked in H1 alone
With modern computing power, short and simple passwords can be cracked almost instantly. Understanding how password complexity affects security is crucial for protecting your accounts.
Modern computing power makes short, simple passwords trivial to break. Here's how password complexity affects security.
Even a strong password provides no protection if it's already been exposed in a data breach. Always check if your credentials have been compromised using services like HaveIBeenPwned.
| Password Type | Time to Crack |
|---|---|
| 8 lowercase letters | Instant |
| 8 mixed characters | 8 hours |
| 10 character mix | 5 days |
| 12 character complex | 2 years |
| 14+ with symbols | 1M+ years |
Despite constant warnings, millions of people still rely on laughably weak passwords. If yours appears on this list, change it immediately—attackers check these first.
Despite years of security awareness campaigns, millions of people still use easily guessable passwords.
| Rank | Password | Estimated Users |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | 123456 | 4.5M+ |
| #2 | password | 0.7M+ |
| #3 | qwerty | 0.6M+ |
| #4 | 123456789 | 0.6M+ |
| #5 | netflix2025 | 0.4M+ |
| #6 | dragon | 0.4M+ |
| #7 | letmein | 0.3M+ |
| #8 | football | 0.3M+ |
| #9 | iloveyou | 0.3M+ |
| #10 | admin | 0.2M+ |
The root cause isn't ignorance—it's exhaustion. With hundreds of accounts to manage, people take shortcuts that put their security at risk. Password fatigue is a real phenomenon affecting security across organizations.
Password fatigue is real. Here's how people actually manage their credentials in 2025.
| Behavior | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Reuse work passwords | 57% |
| Reset password monthly | 51% |
| Use for work & personal | 44% |
| Find it stressful | 76% |
| Memorize everything | 47% |
| Store in notes/Excel | 15% |
| Use sticky notes | 10% |
Some sectors face higher breach rates than others. If your organization operates in one of these high-risk industries, password security should be a top priority.
Some industries are more vulnerable than others. Here's the percentage of organizations with credentials found on the dark web.
| Industry | Dark Web Exposure Rate |
|---|---|
| Legal | 70% |
| Finance | 59% |
| Healthcare | 42% |
| Hospitality | 20% |
| Retail | 18% |
Forget Hollywood hacking scenes—real attackers use automated, scalable techniques. Understanding these methods helps you recognize and prevent credential theft.
Attackers don't guess passwords—they use sophisticated automated techniques. Here's how credential theft actually happens.
| Attack Method | Percentage of Attacks |
|---|---|
| Phishing | 36% |
| Credential Stuffing | 27% |
| Password Spraying | 18% |
| Keyloggers | 12% |
| AI-Powered Attacks | 7% |
MFA is one of the most effective security measures available. Even if your password is compromised, MFA provides an additional barrier that stops most attacks cold.
Multi-factor authentication is one of the most effective defenses against credential theft. Here's how different MFA types compare.
| MFA Type | Attack Prevention Rate |
|---|---|
| Without MFA | 4% |
| SMS MFA | 76% |
| App-based MFA | 92% |
| Hardware Key | 99% |
Passwords aren't going away anytime soon, but bad habits should. Follow these proven practices to dramatically reduce your risk of credential-based breaches.
Following these guidelines will help you avoid 80% of credential-based breaches before they happen.
Longer passwords are exponentially harder to crack. Aim for at least 14 characters with a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols.
Multi-factor authentication blocks 96% of attacks. Use app-based authenticators or hardware keys when possible.
Tools like 1Password, Bitwarden, or Dashlane generate and store unique passwords for every account securely.
When one account is breached, attackers try those credentials everywhere. Use unique passwords for each service.
Regularly check if your credentials have been exposed using services like HaveIBeenPwned.com.
Don't use company names, birthdays, pet names, or predictable patterns like "Password123!".
Security doesn't have to be perfect—just better than yesterday. Use strong, unique passphrases, enable MFA, and monitor for exposed credentials. These simple habits stop 80% of attacks.
All statistics on this page are compiled from reputable industry sources and regularly updated to ensure accuracy.