Choosing a phone PIN code that's easy to remember might be a time-saver. It's also a potential security risk.
If your phone or another device is lost or stolen, an easily-guessed PIN code makes it easier for someone to unlock the device and access the personal or financial information stored within. The same goes for your ATM PIN, if you lose your debit card.
And the most common four-digit PIN found in data breaches is also a highly guessable one: the simple "1234," according to a recent Australian Broadcasting Corporation analysis of data from HaveIBeenPwned.com, which which has a database of more than 320 million passwords and PINs aggregated from past leaks.
Some PINs on the report's list are only slightly more complex. Thirty of the 50 most commonly leaked four-digit PINs start with "19" or "20," potentially indicating someone's birth year — relatively simple to decode, if you once posted about your birthday on social media.
Other common formats include repeating numbers, like "1111" and "0000." There's also "1342," a rearrangement of the most-common PIN, and "2580," which draws a straight line down the middle of most numerical keypads.
Here are the 50 most common four-digit PIN codes, according to the analysis:
Data breaches affected more than 1.3 billion people around the world last year, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. The Federal Trade Commission suggests using at least a six-digit PIN for your devices, if possible, and use any available fingerprint or facial scanning technologies for added security.
Some devices might limit the length of your PIN options, so the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency recommends you pick a random and unique PIN, avoiding obvious patterns or sequences with personal connections.
Be careful using the same PIN for multiple devices or accounts, too: If someone correctly guesses one of your PINs, they'll likely try to use it again if they can.
If your phone or another device is lost or stolen, an easily-guessed PIN code makes it easier for someone to unlock the device and access the personal or financial information stored within. The same goes for your ATM PIN, if you lose your debit card.
And the most common four-digit PIN found in data breaches is also a highly guessable one: the simple "1234," according to a recent Australian Broadcasting Corporation analysis of data from HaveIBeenPwned.com, which which has a database of more than 320 million passwords and PINs aggregated from past leaks.
Some PINs on the report's list are only slightly more complex. Thirty of the 50 most commonly leaked four-digit PINs start with "19" or "20," potentially indicating someone's birth year — relatively simple to decode, if you once posted about your birthday on social media.
Other common formats include repeating numbers, like "1111" and "0000." There's also "1342," a rearrangement of the most-common PIN, and "2580," which draws a straight line down the middle of most numerical keypads.
Here are the 50 most common four-digit PIN codes, according to the analysis:
- 1234
- 1111
- 0000
- 1342
- 1212
- 2222
- 4444
- 1122
- 1986
- 2020
- 7777
- 5555
- 1989
- 9999
- 6969
- 2004
- 1010
- 4321
- 6666
- 1984
- 1987
- 1985
- 8888
- 2000
- 1980
- 1988
- 1982
- 2580
- 1313
- 1990
- 1991
- 1983
- 1978
- 1979
- 1995
- 1994
- 1977
- 1981
- 3333
- 1992
- 1975
- 2005
- 1993
- 1976
- 1996
- 2002
- 1973
- 2468
- 1998
- 1974
Data breaches affected more than 1.3 billion people around the world last year, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. The Federal Trade Commission suggests using at least a six-digit PIN for your devices, if possible, and use any available fingerprint or facial scanning technologies for added security.
Some devices might limit the length of your PIN options, so the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency recommends you pick a random and unique PIN, avoiding obvious patterns or sequences with personal connections.
Be careful using the same PIN for multiple devices or accounts, too: If someone correctly guesses one of your PINs, they'll likely try to use it again if they can.
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