123456…We All Know What This Means

Did you know that first Thursday in May of each year is World Password Day? This year it is May 3. Now why would we need a day to remind us to change our password and/or add additional authentication? It might be the fact that the most common password is “123456” and the second most common is “password.”

CLICK TO TWEET: Will you change your password on World Password Day? Check out this blog from CommScope's Kris Kozamchak.

I wrote a previous blog talking about my son wanting a YouTube channel for his birthday. When we were setting up the channel, we had to create a password. He was going to use the same one that he uses at school for his homework that is connected to Google. He is already learning that everything is connected, which can be good or bad. 

For example, when I set him up on his iPad, I used my account. He didn’t know that because we shared the same account, I could see his every text, Facetime or app that was downloaded. Good for me, bad for him if the app wasn’t something I approved or he was texting too late at night. 

A study of Gen Z by CommScope reveals that there will continue to be an increase in devices and social media. But with this increase, things like changing passwords may get overlooked. I’m not sure this is of concern to Gen Z since two-thirds think the age of privacy is over and nothing you do online is private. However, we do need a day to remind us that a core piece of who we are, our identity, can be stolen very easily if we are not careful with our passwords. 

So today, I will change a few of my passwords and keep my identity and data safe for a little longer. I’ll also take some gingko biloba to help my memory in case I forget all the new ones I create. Will you be making some changes today?

About the Author

Kris Kozamchak

Kris Kozamchak is director of corporate communications at CommScope based in Richardson, Texas. She oversees the media, analyst and social media programs for CommScope’s business segments. Kris has more than 20 years of experience in the telecom and technology industry from companies such as BT and NEC, and she bring strong PR agency knowledge from her time at Edelman and Shandwick.  Kris has a bachelor’s degree in public relations and business from West Virginia Wesleyan and is a member of PRSA.