A security app has anonymously tracked data from over 200,000 iPhones. Their results showed that, including the most common password offenders, people tend to follow similar patterns when creating PINs. Is your password, bank PIN or voicemail code on the list? Check it out.
Daniel Amitay created an iPhone app that locks the phone's screen, and takes a picture whenever an incorrect code is entered. He's published some of the data accumulated from his app, and whether you use that or just the iPhone's built-in passcode locking system, the results are very interesting.
The data shows that 10 commonly-repeated passcodes make up 15% of all users' choices. The author suggests that by trying these codes, a phone thief would have a 1 in 7 chance that one would be successful. If these behaviors extend past a lock screen to everything from voicemails to bank accounts, you could be making yourself vulnerable.
The most common passcodes:
- 1234
- 0000
- 2580
- 1111
- 5555
- 5683
- 0852
- 2222
- 1212
- 1998
The majority of code on the list are easy patterns on a number pad, such as 0852, which runs up the middle column; 5683 spells "love".
Another interesting finding is that the majority of PINs begin with the number 1.
For maximum safety, you should try to switch up your passwords and PINs occasionally, or use a set of numbers that have no personal meaning, such as birthdays or anniversaries.
Read the post and check out the rest of the stats.
What are your safety and security tips for your phones and other accounts? Share them with other Unplggd readers in the comments.
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5683 is also loud and lone
why 1998?
Why 1998? Perhaps an awful lot of iPhone users are thirteen years old.
Or they graduated from something in 1998?
The majority of PINs start with one because most people use some year, e.g. their birth year as their pass code.
...I have used 5683 to spell love in passcodes, not for my ipod though, instead I spelt dove for my ipod
Pfew! My 3942 is not on the list:)
The comments are funny. :D
I use my social security number for everything which is *********.
I'm joking.
You know what I find the most amazing thing about this article ....
"A security app has anonymously tracked data from over 200,000 iPhones."
... and no one here made as much as a peep.
I use an anniversary date in a MM/DD format, so mine starts with a 1.
The cynic in me would like to point out that there are phones other than an iphone that use passwords.
Sometimes I go by musical melody made by tones, and the numerical sequence is secondary. Uh oh, now my secret's out.
Wait a minute, Rckmnr, you're right! WTF!
Rckmnr, it was using data collected from users of its own app, not iPhones generally. But it still weirds me out, too!
@mnl-
Did you really just share your pin number???
Go change it right now!
Laughing....
The most disturbing part of this article is how they obtained this data.
the "anonymously tracked data" part reminds me of South Park. and I think that quincyscott has the 13 year old part right! I didn't get a cell phone til senior year >:o