Diehard music fans who use their favourite bands to protect their online activities have been warned to stay vigilant after band names featured as the inspiration behind some of the world’s most commonly hacked passwords.
The “global password risk list” was compiled by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre to reveal the 100,000 most vulnerable passwords, and featured Blink 182, Foo Fighters, Metallica, and Westlife.
The most vulnerable password to feature a musical act was Blink–182, although the bands featured heavily on the list with Green Day, Slipknot, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Sum 41 and Iron Maiden also appearing.
you guys. https://t.co/Rq4VJ6s9LV
— Mark, the Herald Angels Sing (@markhoppus) April 22, 2019
Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus took to Twitter to respond to their band names high ranking on the risk list, writing: “You guys” alongside a link to the list.
In a statement, Dr. Ian Levy, technical director of the National Cyber Security Centre, said: “We understand that cybersecurity can feel daunting to a lot of people, but the NCSC has published lots of easily applicable advice to make you much less vulnerable,
“Password re-use is a major risk that can be avoided – nobody should protect sensitive data with something that can be guessed, like their first name, local football team or favourite band. Using hard-to-guess passwords is a strong first step and we recommend combining three random but memorable words. Be creative and use words memorable to you, so people can’t guess your password.”
Earlier this month, Blink 182 shared a clip of drummer Travis Barker recording some beats for the band’s highly-anticipated, upcoming new album.
The bands upcoming “experimental” album, which is expected to drop this June, and features a track with The Chainsmokers.
Meanwhile, ex-Blink member Tom DeLonge has been busy on extra-terrestrial related matters, with a forthcoming TBS sci-fi TV series in the works.
Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash
