​Passwords and pins are the first line of defence when it comes to protecting your information from cyber criminals.

More than 15 billion passwords and account logins are on the dark web according to researchers. This is a 300 per cent rise since 2018.

While most of these datasets belong to individual online banking, social media and music streaming accounts - businesses are also on the target list.

The exposure of passwords can cause expensive problems, so local governments should follow the latest password best practice.      

Did you know?

According to Google, more than 24 per cent of adults in the US use passwords like “123456,” “abc123,” “password,” and “11111.”

Others use the name of a pet (33 per cent), their own name (22 per cent), their partner’s name (15 per cent) or a child’s name (14 per cent).

Strengthen your passwords

1. Use passphrases instead of passwords. Lowercase six-character passwords take minutes to break. Using a phrase consisting of a random four-word passphrase instead would take thousands of years.
2. Mix it up. Substitute symbols or punctuation for letters (such as @ for a). Intentionally misspell words (smyle instead of smile) or use phonetic spellings.
3. Use a unique password for each account. Don’t use the same password for work and personal accounts. Always change the default password on any new accounts.
4. Make it hard to guess. Criminals know common passwords and may find personal information on social media that can be used to guess your password.
5. Use multifactor authentication (when possible) for additional security and to limit the exposure of compromised passwords.