When you signed up for Twitter, if you were a newbie to the web, you probably picked a password like “password” or “12345678” which are now banned along with 368 other password choices for being “too obvious.”
TechCrunch compiled the full list and asks what I was thinking- how did they come up with the 370 “too obvious” passwords they’ve banned? Did they analyze current passwords on Twitter or did they consult with one of those got-really-rich-in-1999-hackers to advise them?
Regardless, it is imperative for your overall web security that you choose passwords that are not obvious. If you check out the List of 370 banned passwords, you’ll see that most of them are under 10 characters and few of them combine words and numbers. It’s a good idea to keep your passwords obscure and complicated so obviously, don’t use your birthday, your spouse’s name or other sentimental details. Because I’m a digital native (was raised with computers in my life), it is natural for me to consider my passwords but that’s not the case with everyone, so keep a smart mind about your passwords, change them frequently (I do it almost monthly but that’s pretty paranoid, you don’t have to go quite THAT far).
